Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor in the normo- and/or microalbuminuric patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Relationship between serum vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level and parameters of endothelial injury and/or dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 with or without microalbuminuria was investigated. Eighty-four diabetic patients were divided in two subgroups (42 each): normoalbuminuric (NAU) and microalbuminuric (MAU). Forty-two blood donors were in control group. Serum VEGF and plasma von Willebrand factor, soluble thrombomodulin, plasminogen activator inhibitor 1, thrombin-activatable fibrinolysis inhibitor (TAFI) and tissue plasminogen activator (t-PA) were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in all subjects. VEGF was significantly higher in NAU compared to controls. The difference between MAU and controls was not statistically significant, but there was a trend toward significance. Only TAFI correlated with VEGF in MAU. An observed significant increase of serum VEGF level already in NAU suggests that serum VEGF could be a sensitive predictor of endothelial dysfunction in type 2 diabetes.