Relationship Between Factor VIIIR:Ag, Factor VIII C And Glycoemic Control And Vascular Complications In Insulin-Dependent Diabetics

Increased levels of Factor VIII are usually re ported in diabets mellitus, even if contradictory relationships with the vascular complications have been observed,due to unselection of patients. We have measu red Factor VIIIR:Ag and Factor VIII C(two stages method) in 60 insulin dependent diabetics (IDD), aged between 7 and 78, compared to 25 sex and age matched normal controls (NC).The presence of retinopathy (r) or macroangiopathy (m) was assessed by fIuoroangiography and EKG plus oscillography, respectively.

No significant correlations were found between FVIIIR:Ag, FVIIIC and concomitant blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin, GH, and the duration of diabetes. A progressive increase in FVIIIR:Ag according to the extent of the vascular damage is evident. An enhancement of the level of FVIIIC, greater than that of FV IIIR:Ag, index of enhanced thrombin production, is already present even in absence of vascular damage in IDD, being more pronounced in patients with vascuIar complications.