A synergistic decline in humoral and cellular immunity of diabetic mice on exposure to polluted air.

It is clinically known that diabetic patients are more prone to infectious diseases, due to low immune status. Since, some of the common air pollutants are reported to suppress immune system, how exposure to artificially polluted air influences the immune responses in experimental diabetic mice was studied. A diabetic state was induced by alloxan and mice were exposed to artificially polluted air for 30 days. During the period of exposure, the humoral (antibody titer) and cellular (foot and swelling) immune responses to antigenic challenges with sheep RBC were investigated. The exposure to polluted air produced a significant decline in the immune responses in non-diabetic mice whereas a synergistic decline was observed in diabetic group. Since, daily oral treatment with vitamin E (150 mg/kg) significantly prevented the pollution induced immunosuppression, the involvement of free radicals is suggested.