Relations between blood homocysteine levels and other paraclinical parameters in type 2 diabetics

ABSTRACT

Background: Macro vascular disease is a frequent complication and can rapidly progress in type 2 diabetics. The increase of blood homocysteine (Hcy) level is obviously related to an injury of blood vessels in certain types of diseases including diabetes. It is necessary to determine blood Hcy concentrations and find out its role in relation to other tests in type 2 diabetics. Objectives: (1) Determination of blood HbA1C concentration, urine micro albumin, and flow mediated dilatation (FMD) in type 2 diabetics. (2) Discover any relations between blood Hcy levels and other parameters in type 2 diabetics. Subjects and method: The prospective, descriptive, cross-sectional study was carried out on 57 type 2 diabetics diagnosed by WHO 2001 criteria. The concentrations of blood Hcy of all participants were assayed by a competition fluorescence immunoassay. Results: Concentrations of blood HbA1C in patients without and with controlling blood glucose were 10.6 +/- 2.2% and 7.2 +/- 0.3%, respectively. In type 2 diabetics, 35.1% of patients had positive micro-albuminuria (MAU}. FMD of patients with and without vascular damage were 4.19 +/- 1.83% and 8065 +/- 2.1%, respectively. The average concentration of blood Hcy in 57 type 2 diabetics was 12.19 +/- 3.47 micromol/L. Conclusion: Concentrations of blood Hcy in type 2 diabetics without controlling blood glucose were higher than those in the group with controlled blood glucose, but not significantly. Concentrations of blood Hcy between patients with MAU (-) and MAU (+) were significantly different. There is a reverse linear correlation between blood Hcy and FMD.