Response to tetanus vaccination in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Abstract

Diabetes mellitus is an endocrine disease that profoundly affects the immune system. Inadequate regulation of 
blood sugar leads to immune defects and results in more frequent infections. Tetanus is an infectious disease that 
occurs more frequently in developing countries. Antitoxin levels against tetanus are reduced to inadequate levels 10 
years after the last vaccination. The aim of the present study was to investigate the response to tetanus vaccination 
at 0, 1 and 12 months in 45 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and in 37 healthy volunteers who were not immune 
against tetanus. Immune response to tetanus vaccination was compared between the two groups at the fourth week 
after each vaccination. The p values were 0.207, 0.036 and 0.437 when antibody levels between groups were 
compared after the first, second and third vaccinations, respectively. A statistically significant difference was found 
between patients with disease duration of < 5 years versus > 11 years only after the second vaccination (p=0.02). 
The response of diabetic patients was similar to that of the healthy population probably because of the strong 
antigenic structure of the tetanus toxoid vaccine.