Soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule - 1 [s. VCAM - 1] A marker of vascular dysfunction and progressive vascular diseases in diabetic patients

ABSTRACT

Advanced glycation endproducts [AGEs] which accumulate in diabetic vasculature results in enhanced expression of endothelial cell associated vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 [VCAM-1] as well as release of soluble form of VCAM-1 [s.VCAM-1] into culture supernatant. The present work was designed to study plasma s.VCAM-1 concentration in diabetic patients and its relation to microalbuminuria, to study the hypothesis that s.VCAM-1 in diabetic plasma might reflect early vascular perturbation in diabetic vasculopathy. Diabetic patients with microalbuminuria [patients at risk for vascular complication] had increased s.VCAM-1 when compared to diabetic patients without microalbuminuria [p < 0.05] and when compared to control [p < 0.05]. In conclusion, s.VCAM-1 can serve as a marker of ongoing vascular perturbation in diabetic patients and it may be of potential benefit in the assessment of success of therapeutic intervention intended to minimize vascular injury