Neutropenia and diabetes
 

Hi there,

Greetings from Dublin, Ireland. I have a 28 year old daugther who has been diagnosed with congenital neutropenia (severe form) and also she has type 1 diabetes. Anyone outthere with experiences in a similar situation?

Many thanks

Hello! I've read that Type 1 diabetes is an autoimmune condition where the T-cells incorrectly attack the pancreas. My son has Aplastic Anemia, which is an autoimmune condition where the T-cells attack the bone marrow. Aplastic Anemia decreases all three cell lines in the bone marrow: white blood cells (Neutropenia), platelets (Thombrocytopenia), and Red Blood Cells. I understand from reading some studies that if you have one autoimmune response you are at risk for others. If your daughter has type one diabetes it is possible that an autoimmune disorder is also causing her neutropenia. I haven't been able to talk to an immunologist here in the US because when I try they refer me to their hemotology departments, but from my reading I can see how the two could be related. Good luck to you and your daughter!