Impaired skin microvascular function in children, adolescents, and young adults with type 1 diabetes

OBJECTIVE - Vascular disease in type 1 diabetes is a complex and multifactorial process, which probably begins in childhood in association with the onset of diabetes. To determine the possible factors involved, we measured microvascular responses to endothelium-dependent (acetylcholine) and endothelium-independent (sodium nitroprusside) vasodilators in 56 patients with type 1 diabetes (aged 9-22 years) and 22 control subjects. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS - skin perfusion was measured at the dorsum of the foot using laser Doppler flowmetry during low-current iontophoresis of acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside. Maximum vasodilator function was measured during local 44 degrees C skin heating. RESULTS - Vascular responses were significantly reduced in patients with type 1 diabetes compared with responses in control subjects: acetylcholine (P < 0.01, analysis of variance [ANOVA]), sodium nitroprusside (P < 0.01, ANOVA), and local heating (P < 0.02. Mann-Whitney U lest). Endothelium-dependent responses were related to duration of diabetes (r = -0.38, P < 0.01) and to glycemic control (r = -0.37, P < 0.01). significant correlations were found in the patient group between responses to acetylcholine and sodium nitroprusside (r = 0.28, P < 0.05) bur not to heating, suggesting that a common factor (e.g., nitric oxide activity) may be responsible for the abnormal vascular responses to these chemicals. CONCLUSIONS - Early changes in microvascular function are present in young patients with type 1 diabetes, long before the initial clinical presentation. These abnormalities may be related to complex interactions between structural abnormalities and functional changes in the endothelium, smooth muscle, and nitric oxide activity.