Sialic acid content and sialidase activity of polymorphonuclear leucocytes in diabetes mellitus.

The level of sialic acid in the diabetic polymorphonuclear leucocytes was found to be significantly reduced as compared to normal. More pronounced effects were observed with ketoacidotic as compared to nonketoacidotic diabetic polymorphonuclear leucocytes. Activity of sialic acid degrading enzyme, sialidase, was found to be increased with more pronounced effect in the ketotic state. Diabetic patients treated either with intravenous insulin or oral hypoglycemic drugs showed restoration to normalcy in both sialic acid content and sialidase activity. The implications of the result are discussed.