ABSTRACT
The study comprised 100 subjects: A diabetic group including 50 patients [30 males and 20 females, their mean age was 48.36 +/- 8.7 years] and a non-diabetic control group including 50 subjects [30 males and 20 females, their mean age was 48.5 +/- 7.1 years]. Both groups were subdivided into nonsmoker and smoker subgroups; they were matched for age, sex and smoking habits. All members were subjected to thorough history and clinical examination, assay of plasma total cholesterol, triglycerides, HDL, glycohemoglobin, insulin and intercellular cell adhesion molecules-1 [ICAM-1] and vascular cell adhesion molecular-1 [VCAM-1] and urinary albumin excretion rate [AER]. The study concluded that there is an increased level of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1 concentrations in normoalbuminuric type 2 diabetic patients. Furthermore, cigarette smoking has an additional deleterious effect on the level of ICAM-1 and VCAM-1, which supported the importance of promoting smoking cession and discouraging the initiation of smoking in people with type 2 diabetes