Abnormal levels of age-elastin derived peptides in sera of diabetic patients with arterial hypertension

Introduction: An important factor in vascular wall alterations is degradation of elastic fiber major protein elastin. As a result, elastin derived peptides (EDP) are found in circulation. Advanced glycation might also involve elastin, because it is a protein with slow metabolism. The aim of our study was to measure serum levels of glycated elastin derived peptides (AGE-EDP) of elastin in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and arterial hypertension (AH). Material and methods: We adapted an ELISA technique for the determination of AGE-EDP. Sera of 93 patients with T2DM and All (mean age 61.4 +/- 11.3 years, diabetes duration 9.88 +/- 3.12 years; hypertension duration 9.28 +/- 14.98) were tested. These values were compared to 42 age- and sex-matched controls. Diabetics were divided in two groups according to presence Group I (n = 67) or absence Group 2 (n = 26) of microangiopathy. Results: Patients with T2DM and AH showed statistically significantly higher levels of AGE-EDP in comparison with healthy controls 0.060 (0.053 divided by 0.065) vs. 0.039 (0.031 divided by 0.044) (KW = 35.2; p<0.0001). Group I showed significantly higher levels of AGE-EDP than the control group 0.069 (0.051 divided by 0.070) vs. 0.039 (0.031 divided by 0.044) (KW = 33.0; p < 0.0001). Group 2 also showed significantly higher levels of AGE-EDP than controls 0.058 (0.049 divided by 0.064) vs. 0.039 (0.031 divided by 0.044) (KW = 22.1; p < 0.0001). AGE-EDP showed a correlation with an insulin dose (r = -0.28; p = 0.05), systolic blood pressure (r = 0.25; p = 0.01), BMI (r = 0.39; p = 0.01) and retinopathy (r = 0.18; p = 0.05). Conclusions: The measurement of non-invasive markers of elastin glycation may be useful in monitoring development of vascular wall alterations and therapeutic interventions.