Lower immunity and recurring infections are common in type 1 and type 2 diabetes. Researchers at Karolinska Institutet in Sweden now show that the immune systems of people with diabetes have lower levels of the antimicrobial peptide psoriasin, which compromises the urinary bladder's cell barrier, increasing the risk of urinary tract infection. The study is published in Nature Communications.

Diabetes results from lack of insulin and/or decreased insulin action. Insulin is a hormone that regulates glucose (sugar) and thus energy to the cells. In type 1 diabetes, the body stops producing insulin, while in type 2 diabetes, the cells have become less sensitive to insulin, which contributes to high blood glucose levels. Diabetes is a common disease that affects the health in many ways.

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