Abstract

Objective: Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) and microalbuminuria are at increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Abnormalities in vascular progenitor cells, which participate in vascular repair, may be implicated in this susceptibility.

Research design and methods: We studied the number and function of vascular progenitor cells in 22 T1DM patients with history of microalbuminuria (MA+) and 22 T1DM patients without history of microalbuminuria (MA−), of similar age, diabetes duration, glycaemic control, renal function, and no history of CVD.

Results: MA+ patients had lower circulating CD34⁺ and CD34⁺/CD133⁺ cells number compared to MA− (p<0.006). In in vitro functional assays, MA+ patients had significantly lower number of colony-forming units, and impaired VEGF-A mediated tube formation, when compared to MA− patients (p<0.01).

Conclusions: In T1DM with microalbuminuria, a marker of microvascular injury and a risk factor for CVD, circulating vascular progenitor cells number is reduced and function is impaired.