Association of leukocyte count with varying degrees of glucose intolerance in Asian Indians: the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES-26).

OBJECTIVE: This study assessed the association of leukocyte count with different grades of glucose intolerance in Asian Indian subjects.

METHODS: Three groups of subjects were recruited from the Chennai Urban Rural Epidemiology Study (CURES), a population-based study, representative of Chennai (formerly Madras), a city in southern India. Group 1 represented normal glucose tolerance (NGT) (n = 840), group 2 included impaired glucose tolerance (IGT) (n = 180), and group 3 included type 2 diabetes (n = 1170). Anthropometric measurements including weight, height, and waist measurements were obtained using standardized techniques. Leukocyte count was measured by an automated flow cytometry instrument (Sysmex SF-3000, Japan). Fasting insulin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and insulin resistance was calculated using the homeostasis model assessment (HOMA-IR).

RESULTS: Subjects with diabetes (8.0 +/- 1.5 x 10(3)/microL) and IGT (7.9 +/- 1.3 x 10(3)/microL) had a significantly higher mean leukocyte count compared to the NGT group (7.4 +/- 1.5 x 10(3)/microL) (P < 0.001). Leukocyte count was significantly increased in NGT subjects with insulin resistance (IR) as measured by HOMA-IR (7.5 +/- 1.5 x 10(3)/microL; P < 0.001) compared to NGT subjects without IR (7.0 +/- 1.4 x 10(3)/microL). Regression analysis showed that there was a linear increase in mean leukocyte count with increasing severity of glucose intolerance, even after adjusting for age, waist circumference, and HOMA-IR.

CONCLUSIONS: Among Asian Indians who are known to have high risk of premature coronary artery disease and diabetes, a significant association exists between leukocyte count and glucose intolerance.