Indicator of vascular injury may be a useful biomarker

FRIDAY, Feb. 17 (HealthDay News) — Type 1 diabetes patients with early retinopathy have abnormalities in their endothelial progenitor cells (EPC), a cell type released into the circulation as a result of vascular damage, according to a study published online Feb. 14 in Diabetes.

Gianpaolo Zerbini, M.D., Ph.D., from the San Raffaele Scientific Institute in Milan, and colleagues investigated whether EPC could be used as a biomarker of early nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy in 20 type 1 diabetes patients 20 years or younger with retinopathy, 19 type 1 diabetes patients 7 years or younger without retinopathy, and 17 type 1 diabetes patients 23 years or older without retinopathy. Each group also had a similar number of matched controls without diabetes.

The researchers found that, of the two subtypes of EPC, only the form carrying both endothelial and monocytic markers known as colony-forming units (CFU)-Hill cells was associated with retinopathy. EPC from patients with retinopathy formed more colonies in vitro and had reduced levels of proteins involved in homing at sites of vascular injury.

”CFU-Hill cells are potential informers of diabetic microangiopathy but may be preempted from carrying out reparative functions if the molecular abnormalities compromise interactions with the damaged vascular wall,” Zerbini and colleagues conclude.

From ADA/Pro diabetes

Endothelial Progenitor Cells Carrying Monocyte Markers Are Selectively Abnormal in Type 1 Diabetic Patients With Early Retinopathy

Abstract

Endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) enter the systemic circulation in response to cues related to vascular damage and need for neovascularization. Thus, EPCs could become readily accessible informers of vascular status and enable the survey of vascular pathologies during preclinical stages. To identify EPC changes with biomarker potential, we investigated whether discrete EPC abnormalities were associated with early nonproliferative diabetic retinopathy (NPDR). Two EPC subtypes with different functions have been characterized to date—one solely committed to the endothelial lineage and the other carrying both endothelial and monocytic markers. We found that only the latter, colony-forming units (CFU)-Hill cells, manifested abnormalities in type 1 diabetic patients with NPDR compared with control subjects. The abnormalities consisted in an increased number of colonies formed in vitro and downregulation of the molecules that facilitate homing at sites of vascular injury. The abnormalities were absent in type 1 diabetic patients free of retinopathy and other complications, despite long diabetes duration, but were detected in some of the patients without clinical retinopathy after short diabetes duration. CFU-Hill cells are potential informers of diabetic microangiopathy but may be preempted from carrying out reparative functions if the molecular abnormalities compromise interactions with the damaged vascular wall.

Diabetes Jan 2012

Nyhetsinfo
www red DiabetologNytt