The new study explains the link between diabetes and urinary tract infections

Immunocompromise and recurrent infections are common
in type 1 and type 2 diabetes.

Diabetes is caused
by a lack of insulin and / or a decrease in the action of insulin.

One of the effects is that it damages the innate immune system, making many people more
susceptible to routine infections, such as urinary tract infections caused by E.

An endogenous antibiotic

Researchers at the Karolinska Institute have now investigated whether blood sugar levels in people with diabetes (type 1, type 2 or prediabetes) are related to psoriasis, an endogenous antibiotic that is part of
the innate immune system.

Using samples of the patient's urine, bladder cells and serum, the researchers analyzed levels of psoriasin and other peptides to ensure that the bladder mucosa remains intact and prevents infection
.

"We found that high concentrations of glucose lowered levels of the antimicrobial pepsoriasis, while insulin had no effect," said
Annelie Bruner, professor of microbiology, oncology and cell biology at Karolinska College, who led the study.

Estrogen therapy reduces the number of bacteria

Professor Braune's team has previously demonstrated that treatment with estrogen can restore the protective function of human and mouse bladder cells, thereby helping to regulate the immune response to UTIs
.

"We now plan to study the underlying mechanisms of infection in diabetic patients in greater depth," said
Soumitra Mohanty, lead author of the study and a researcher in the same department at Karolinska Institutet.

The study was carried out
in collaboration with Karolinska University Hospital, the Stockholm Region, the Universities of Kapio and Uppsala and the Universit?tsklinikum Schleswig-Holstein in Germany.

Journal Reference:

1. Soumitra Mohanty, Witchuda Kamolvit, Andrea Scheffschick, Anneli Bjö rklund, Jonas Tovi, Alexander Espinosa, Kerstin Brismar, Thomas Nyströ m, Jens M.