Endothelial progenitor cells and peripheral neuropathy in subjects with type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Published in: Journal of diabetes and its complications 2020-04, Vol.34 (4), p.107517-107517, Article 107517
• Main Authors: Eleftheriadou, Ioanna, Dimitrakopoulou, Natalia, Kafasi, Nikolitsa, Tentolouris, Anastasios, Dimitrakopoulou, Aglaia, Anastasiou, Ioanna A., Mourouzis, Iordanis, Jude, Edward, Tentolouris, Nikolaos
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Angiogenesis; Ankle; Bone marrow; Cell adhesion & migration; Circulating endothelial cells; Creatinine; Cytokines; Diabetes; Diabetic peripheral neuropathy; Diabetic retinopathy; Endothelial progenitor cells; Flow cytometry; Hyperglycemia; Laboratories; Peripheral neuropathy; Proteins; Software; Stem cells; Type 2 diabetes mellitus; Vascular endothelial growth factor
• ISSN: 1056-8727; 1873-460X
• DOI: 10.1016/j.jdiacomp.2019.107517

To examine for differences in circulating progenitor cells (CPCs) and endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) in patients with and without diabetic peripheral neuropathy (DPN). A total of 105 participants were included: 50 patients with type 2 diabetes (T2DM) and DPN, 30 patients with T2DM without DPN and 25 healthy individuals. CPCs and 6 different EPCs phenotypes were assessed with flow cytometry. We also measured plasma levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), stromal cell-derived factor 1 (SDF-1), vascular cell adhesion protein-1 (VCAM-1), intracellular adhesion molecule-1 (ICAM) and tumor necrosis factor a (TNFa). No difference was observed in the number of CPCs among the 3 groups. Patients with DPN had higher numbers of all 6 EPCs phenotypes when compared with patients without DPN and higher number of 5 EPCs phenotypes when compared with healthy individuals. Plasma VEFG, VCAM-1, ICAM-1 and TNFa levels did not differ among the 3 groups. Patients with DPN had lower SDF-1 levels in comparison with healthy individuals. Circulating EPCs are increased while SDF-1 levels are decreased in the presence of DPN. Our findings suggest that DPN may be associated with impaired trafficking of EPCs and impaired EPCs homing to the injured endothelium. •Several EPCs phenotypes are increased in patients with DPN when compared with patients without DPN and healthy individuals.•SDF-1 levels are lower in patients with DPN when compared with healthy individuals.•It could be hypothesized that in patients with DPN, EPCs cannot attach to the injured endothelium.