Blood group, secretor status and oral carriage of yeasts among patients with diabetes mellitus

The inability to secrete the water-soluble glycoprotein form of the ABO blood group antigens is a genetic characteristic associated with susceptibility to superficial fungal infections and also insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM). As oral carriage of Candida albicans in healthy adults is associated with non-secretion, we examined oral carriage of yeasts among 275 patients attending diabetic outpatient clinics, 137 with IDDM and 138 with non-insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) with reference to ABO blood group, secretor status and yeast species. Of the 166 yeast isolates, 109 (66.7%) were C. albicans, a lower proportion compared with 94% reported for healthy individuals. There was no association between ABO blood group and carriage. There was no increase in the proportion of non-secretor carriers of C. albicans among patients with IDDM; but among those with NIDDM, 44% of non-secretors were carriers compared with 21% who were non-carriers (p < 0.01). The results are discussed in the context of host-parasite interactions influencing colonization.