Plasma and urinary vascular endothelial growth factor and diabetic nephropathy in Type 2 diabetes mellitus

• Published in: Diabetic medicine 2004-06, Vol.21 (6), p.545-551
• Main Authors: Kim, N. H., Kim, K. B., Kim, D. L., Kim, S. G., Choi, K. M., Baik, S. H., Choi, D. S., Kang, Y. S., Han, S. Y., Han, K. H., Ji, Y. H., Cha, D. R.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Albuminuria - complications; Albuminuria - metabolism; Biological and medical sciences; Creatinine - blood; Creatinine - urine; diabetes mellitus nephropathy; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - complications; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 - metabolism; Diabetes. Impaired glucose tolerance; Diabetic Nephropathies - complications; Diabetic Nephropathies - metabolism; Diabetic Retinopathy - metabolism; Endocrine pancreas. Apud cells (diseases); Endocrinopathies; Etiopathogenesis. Screening. Investigations. Target tissue resistance; Female; Humans; Hypertension - complications; Hypertension - metabolism; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Proteinuria - complications; Proteinuria - metabolism; Risk Factors; Urea - blood; vascular endothelial growth factor; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors - analysis; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors - blood; Vascular Endothelial Growth Factors - urine
• ISSN: 0742-3071; 1464-5491
• DOI: 10.1111/j.1464-5491.2004.01200.x

Aims  Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetes mellitus. We determined whether alterations of plasma and urinary VEGF levels are related to diabetic nephropathy in Type 2 diabetic patients. Methods  One hundred and seven patients and 47 healthy controls were studied. Study subjects were divided into four groups using urinary albumin‐to‐creatinine ratio (ACR): a non‐diabetic healthy control group (n = 47), a normoalbuminuric diabetic group (n = 37), a microalbuminuric diabetic group (n = 37) and an overt proteinuric diabetic group (n = 33). VEGF levels were measured by enzyme‐linked immunosorbent assay. Results  (i) Urinary VEGF concentrations were significantly higher in the diabetic groups, even at the normoalbuminuric stage (log VEGF/Cr, normoalbuminuria; 4.33 ± 1.06 vs. control; 3.53 ± 0.79, P = 0.009). Urinary VEGF excretions increased as diabetic nephropathy advanced. (ii) Plasma and urinary VEGF levels were higher in hypertensive diabetic patients than in the normotensive individuals with diabetes. (iii) In those with diabetes, plasma VEGF levels were found to be positively correlated with plasma urea (r = 0.398, P = 0.039) and urinary ACR (r = 0.251, P = 0.044), and urinary VEGF to be positively correlated with urinary ACR (r = 0.645, P