Abstract
BACKGROUND: microvascular complications in diabetes identify those at risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD), suggesting a link between abnormal neovascularisation and CVD. This may be related to high plasma vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF). We hypothesised increased angiopoietins (Ang)-1 and -2 in patients with diabetes that are related to VEGF, medium-term glycaemic control, endothelial damage/dysfunction and atherosclerosis. METHODS AND PATIENTS: we measured plasma Ang-1 and Ang-2 alongside VEGF (all by ELISA) in 96 patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (41 with and 56 without overt CVD) who were compared to 35 age- and sex-comparable healthy controls. Common carotid intima-media thickness (CC-IMT) was used to assess carotid atherosclerosis, plasma von Willebrand factor (vWf) and urine albumin:creatinine ratio (UACr) to quantify and endothelial damage/dysfunction, and HbA1c to mark medium-term hypergylcaemia. RESULTS: Ang-2 (but not Ang-1) was higher in patients with diabetes compared to controls (p
Original language | English |
---|---|
Pages (from-to) | 113-8 |
Number of pages | 6 |
Journal | Atherosclerosis |
Volume | 180 |
Issue number | 1 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 1 May 2005 |
Keywords
- angiopoietin
- diabetes mellitus
- vascular endothelial growth factor
- atherosclerosis