White blood cell subpopulation changes and prevalence of neutropenia among Arab diabetic patients attending Dasman Diabetes Institute in Kuwait

The effects of diabetes mellitus on the differential white blood cell count are not widely studied in the Arab populations. The objective of this cross-sectional, retrospective study is to assess the influence of chronic diabetes mellitus on white blood cell counts, absolute neutrophil (ANC) and lymphocyte counts (ALC) as well as the prevalence of benign ethnic neutropenia among Arabs attending the Dasman Diabetes Institute (DDI) in Kuwait. 1,580 out of 5,200 patients registered in the DDI database qualified for our study. Age, gender, HbA1c and creatinine levels, estimated glomerular filtration rate as well as average WBC, ANC and ALC levels, presence of diabetes-associated complications and anti-diabetic medications were analyzed. Our results showed the mean value of the WBC was 7.6 ± 1.93 x 109/L (95% CI: 2.95-17.15). The mean ANC was 4.3 x 109/L (95% CI: 0.97-10.40) and mean ALC was 2.5 x 109/L (95% CI: 0.29-10.80). Neutropenia (ANC: