Alterations in Von Willebrand factor in diabetic vascular disease

Study was undertaken on 82 patients with noninsulin dependent diabetes to characterise the role of von Willebrand factor [VWF], a glycoprotein synthesized and stored in vascular endothelium, in the vascular complications associated with the disease. An elevated level of this factor was observed only in those patients with macrovascular complications. This is due to endothelial damage in diabetics, related to the duration of the disease. Absence of a raised level of VWF in our diabetics with microvascular disease may suggest the role of other influencing factors such as geographical and or racial differences in the clinical features and pathogenesis of diabetes