Diabetes mellitus is characterized by microangiopathy and increased angiogenic response in various organs. Basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) as well as vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) are both angiogenic and are involved in vascular endothelial cell growth. The purpose of this study was to determine serum levels of bFGF and VEGF, in children and adolescents (youngsters) with type 1 diabetes mellitus, and correlate them with parameters reflecting the severity of the disease. Forty diabetic youngsters without clinical evidence of complications were compared with 30 healthy control subjects (mean age +/- SD, 14.3 +/- 3.6 and 13.8 +/- 3.6 y, respectively). Diabetes duration and metabolic control (expressed by glycosylated Hb) were (mean +/- SD) 6.2 +/- 3.8 y and 9.6 +/- 1.8%, respectively. bFGF and VEGF (pg/mL) were measured in serum samples by enzyme immunoassays, and both were not significantly different between the type 1 diabetes mellitus and the control group (p = 0.952 and p = 0.559, respectively). Restricting the analysis to the type 1 diabetes mellitus group, neither the duration nor the metabolic control of the disease showed any correlation with bFGF and VEGF serum levels, whereas a significantly positive correlation was found between the two examined angiogenic factors both in the diabetic (r = 0.3464, p = 0.025) and the control group (r = 0.4619, p = 0.0013). In conclusion, serum levels of bFGF and VEGF were not found to vary significantly in diabetic youngsters in relation to controls and had no correlation with the duration and metabolic control of the disease. Nevertheless, a positive correlation was found between these two angiogenic factors both in the type 1 diabetes mellitus and the control group.
Microangiopathy, one of the most important complications of diabetes mellitus in humans, is associated with increased angiogenic response and proliferative lesions in various organs. Angiogenin, a polypeptide with a molecular size of 14 kD, is a potent inducer of vascular growth. This study aimed at investigating whether serum angiogenin levels are elevated in children and adolescents (youngsters) with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and whether angiogenin levels are affected by duration and metabolic control of the disease. It is assumed that angiogenin levels reflect the increased angiogenesis associated with microangiopathy, whether clinically evident or not. Forty diabetic youngsters were compared with 30 healthy control subjects (mean age +/- SD, 14.3 +/- 3.6 y and 13.8 +/- 3.6 y, respectively). The patients' disease duration and glycosylated Hb were (mean +/- SD) 6.2 +/- 3.8 y and 9.6 +/- 1.8%, respectively. Angiogenin (ng/mL) was measured in serum samples by an enzyme immunoassay and was found to be significantly higher (mean +/- SE) in patients (353.3 +/- 20.0) than in control subjects (244.7 +/- 9.6) (p = 0.0002). Levels did not vary with age, but were significantly higher in females compared with male subjects (p = 0.01). In the diabetic youngsters no significant differences were noticed with respect to duration or metabolic control of the disease. In conclusion, serum angiogenin levels were found to be increased among diabetic youngsters, irrespective of the duration and metabolic control of the disease, as well as in female subjects, with or without diabetes.
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