The effect of blood glucose regulation on the presence of opportunistic Demodex folliculorum mites in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

J Int Med Res. 2013 Oct;41(5):1752-8. doi: 10.1177/0300060513494730. Epub 2013 Aug 9.

Abstract

Objectives: To measure the rate of Demodex folliculorum mite infestation in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and to investigate if it was related to blood glucose control.

Methods: Patients with type 2 diabetes were classified according to their glycosylated haemoglobin (HbA(1c)) level into two groups: a well controlled blood glucose group (HbA(1c) ≤ 7%) and a poorly controlled blood glucose group (HbA(1c) > 7%). A standardized skin surface biopsy method was used to determine if the patients had D. folliculorum infestation (>5 mites/cm² of skin).

Results: A total of 69 patients (38 female) were enrolled in the study. Seventeen (24.6%) patients had D. folliculorum infestation. There were no significant differences in age, sex or body mass index between patients with and without D. folliculorum infestations. A significantly higher proportion of patients with poor blood glucose control had D. folliculorum infestation compared with patients with well controlled blood glucose.

Conclusions: These current findings suggest that poor blood glucose regulation increases the susceptibility to D. folliculorum mite infestation in patients with type 2 diabetes.

Keywords: Demodex mites; Diabetes mellitus; blood glucose regulation.

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Animals
  • Blood Glucose / metabolism*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / blood*
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / complications
  • Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / parasitology
  • Female
  • Glycated Hemoglobin / metabolism
  • Humans
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Mite Infestations / blood*
  • Mite Infestations / complications
  • Mite Infestations / parasitology
  • Mites / physiology*
  • Skin / parasitology*

Substances

  • Blood Glucose
  • Glycated Hemoglobin A
  • hemoglobin A1c protein, human