Objective: Diabetes, including type 1 and type 2, is associated with the hypercoagulable state. The aim of this study is to evaluate the concentration of selected hemostatic parameters and vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A) in diabetic subjects.
Methods: The study was conducted in 62 patients with diabetes. Group I consisted of 27 patients having uncontrolled diabetes with microalbuminuria and Group II included 35 well-controlled diabetic patients. The control group was made up of 25 healthy volunteers. In the citrate plasma, the concentrations of tissue factor (TF), tissue factor pathway inhibitor (TFPI), thrombin-antithrombin (TAT) complexes, and D-dimer were assayed. Serum concentrations of VEGF-A, lipid profile, creatinine, and plasma fasting glucose were measured and in the versene plasma the concentration of HbA1c was determined.
Results: In the patients with uncontrolled diabetes, higher concentrations of TF, TFPI, and VEGF-A were observed, as compared with the well-controlled diabetics group and the control group. A significantly lower activity of antiplasmin was reported in patients from Group I as compared with the control group. In Group I, using the multivariate regression analysis, the glomerular filtration rate was independently associated with VEGF-A and dependently associated with total cholesterol.
Conclusions: The study showed higher concentrations of TF and TFPI in the patients with uncontrolled diabetes with microalbuminuria, which is associated with rapid neutralization of the thrombin formation, since TFPI inhibits the complex of TF/VIIa/Ca(2+). The manifestation of the above suggestions is the correct TAT complexes and D-dimer, which indicates a low grade of prothrombotic risk in this group of patients, but a higher risk of vascular complications.
Keywords: Angiogenesis; Diabetes; Extrinsic coagulation pathway; Glomerular filtration rate.