Decreased leukotriene B4 synthesis by polymorphonuclear leukocytes from male patients with diabetes mellitus.

Leukotriene B4 (LTB4) synthesis and release by polymorphonuclear leukocytes (PMNL) from 17 male patients with type I diabetes mellitus was decreased (407.1 +/- 55.6 vs 709.4 +/- 62.7 ng/30 X 10(6) cells/10 min, mean +/- SE, p less than 0.001) as compared with 17 normal subjects matched for sex and age. There was an inverse correlation (r = -0.50, p less than 0.04) between LTB4 synthesis and plasma glucose concentration in the diabetic patients. The same correlation (r = -0.71, p less than 0.01) was observed in three diabetic patients studied weekly for one month. Because LTB4 is a potent chemoattractant and stimulates PMNL function, the defect in its synthesis may contribute to the predisposition to infections in the diabetic patient.