rss
Br J Ophthalmol 2000;84:591-595 doi:10.1136/bjo.84.6.591
  • Original Article
    • Clinical science

Coagulation pathways and diabetic retinopathy: abnormal modulation in a selected group of insulin dependent diabetic patients

  1. Cristiano Giustia,
  2. Riccardo Schiaffinib,
  3. Claudia Brufanib,
  4. Antonio Pantaleob,
  5. Enzo Maria Vingoloa,
  6. Patrizia Gargiulob
  1. aChair of Ophthalmology, University “La Sapienza”, Rome, Italy, bInstitute of Internal Medicine II
  1. Cristiano Giusti, MD, Via Cassia 1280 (Pal B1, int 10), I-00189 Rome, Italycrigiust{at}tin.it
  • Accepted 28 January 2000

Abstract

AIMS To investigate whether diabetic retinopathy (DR), already associated with microvascular alterations, ischaemia, and endothelial dysfunction, was also characterised by abnormal modulation of coagulation pathways.

METHODS Plasma samples, collected from 67 type 1 diabetics comparable for age, duration of disease (DD), and metabolic control (MC), were processed for prothrombin degradation products (F1+2) and factor VII coagulant activity (FVII:c). 50 normal subjects served as a control group. The ETDRS-Airlie House Classification of DR was used.

RESULTS A significant correlation between FVII:c and F1+2 plasma concentrations was observed (p <0.05). FVII:c (p <0.005) and F1+2 (p <0.0001) levels were higher in diabetics than in controls, especially in patients with proliferative DR (FVII:c p <0.0001; F1+2 p<0.005). However, cases without retinal lesions and healthy subjects did not differ significantly (FVII:c and F1+2 p >0.05).

CONCLUSIONS These findings pointed out the presence of a hypercoagulable state associated with endothelial dysfunction in patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM), demonstrated both by increased FVII:c and F1+2 plasma levels. Moreover, the observation of different DR related degrees of procoagulant activity, despite comparable DD and MC, strengthens the hypothesis of multiple risk factors in the pathogenesis of DR.

Footnotes

    This Article

    1. Abstract
    2. Full text
    3. PDF

    Responses

    1. Submit a response
    2. No responses published

    Register for free content

    The full back archive is now available for all BMJ Journals. Institutional subscribers may access the entire archive as part of their subscription. Personal subscribers will also have access to all content when logged in. Non-subscribers who register have free access to all articles published before 2006 right back to volume 1 issue 1. Register here to access the free archive of all BMJ Journals.

    Don't forget to sign up for content alerts so you keep up to date with all the articles as they are published.