Abstract
Serum concentrations of α1-antitrypsin (α1-AT), α2-macroglobulin (α2-MG) and elastase I (IRE) were assayed in 133 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus in relation to diabetic vascular complications. Serum α1-AT and α2-MG were assayed by single radial immunodiffusion. IRE was assayed by radioimmunoassay. Hypertension (HT), ischemic heart disease (IHD) and calcification of the aortic arch (CAL) were used as parameters for macroangiopathy. Diabetic retinopathy (RP) was used as a parameter for microangiopathy.
The findings may be summarized as follows; α1-AT was significantly higher level in the group with HT, IRE was significantly lower level in the group with IHD demonstrated by ECG, and α2-MG had a tendency to be higher level in the group of higher plasma glucose level or in the group treated with insulin. All of them had no significant relation with RP.
These observations may suggest that α1-AT and IRE levels correlate with the presence of diabetic macroangiopathy.
