Higher concentrations of osteoprotegerin in type 1 diabetic patients are related to retinopathy: Results from the Poznań Prospective Study
Agata Grzelka, Dariusz Naskręt, Aleksandra Araszkiewicz, Aleksandra Uruska, Małgorzata Wegner, Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz, Agata Grzelka, Dariusz Naskręt, Aleksandra Araszkiewicz, Aleksandra Uruska, Małgorzata Wegner, Dorota Zozulińska-Ziółkiewicz
Abstract
Background: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) is an arterial calcification marker which has been associated with vascular damage. Elevated OPG concentrations associated with low-grade inflammatory processes are found in diabetic subjects.
Objectives: The aim of the study was to assess concentrations of OPG in relation to the presence of diabetic complications in patients with diabetes type 1 (DM 1) participating in the Poznań Prospective Study (PoProStu).
Material and methods: The study included 74 patients with DM1 (48 men) with a median age of 39 years (interquartile range [IQR]: 34-43) and a median 15-year history (IQR: 14-16) of diabetes, who were participants in the PoProStu. Serum OPG concentration was measured using the ELISA method, and serum concentration of C-reactive protein was measured with a high sensitivity test (hsCRP). The visceral adipose index (VAI) was used to determine indirect markers of insulin resistance (IR). The prevalence of microangiopathic diabetes complications was assessed.
Results: Retinopathy was diagnosed in 28 patients (38%), diabetic kidney disease (DKD) in 28 (38%) patients, and neuropathy in 17 (23%) patients. The median OPG level was 43.8 (28.0-74.0) pg/mL. Patients with retinopathy had higher levels of OPG than those without retinopathy: 47.5 (35.0-88.0) vs 35.4 (24.7-69.4) pg/mL (p = 0.04). Positive correlations were observed between OPG concentration and hsCRP (Rs = 0.53; p < 0.001), HbA1c level (Rs = 0.36; p = 0.002), VAI (Rs = 0.23; p = 0.04) and waist circumference (Rs = 0.24; p = 0.04).
Conclusions: Higher concentrations of osteoprotegerin in DM1 patients are related to the presence of retinopathy. The study results indicate that OPG might play a role in the pathogenesis of vascular complications in association with hyperglycemia and low-grade inflammatory processes.
Keywords: diabetes mellitus type 1; diabetic angiopathies; hyperglycemia; inflammation; osteoprotegerin.
Source: PubMed