Increased plasma immunoreactive endothelin-1 in normotensive insulin dependent diabetic patients with normal kidney functions

ABSTRACT

The current study assessed plasma endothelin-1 [ET-1] in patients withinsulin-dependent diabetes mellitus [IDDM] and normal subjects. In IDDM, theplasma insulin level was 80 +/- 46 mu/ml and the level of hemoglobin A1c was9.4 +/- 2%. There was no significant elevation of systolic or diastolicblood pressure in IDDM patients. Plasma endothelin was assessed by aradioimmunoassay for ET-1 with less than 15% cross-reactivity with otherendothelin peptides, and was expressed as immunoreactive ET-1 [pg/ml]. Thedata demonstrated that plasma immunoreactive ET-1 was increased in patientswith IDDM, independent of chronic blood glucose control and in the absence ofsystemic hypertension