Affiliations: Department of Pharmaceutical Biochemistry of Wroclaw
Medical University, Wrocław, Poland | Department and Clinic of Angiology, Hypertension and
Diabetology of Wroclaw Medical University, Wrocław, Poland
Note: [] Corresponding author: Agnieszka Piwowar, Wroclaw Medical
University, Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Pharmacy, Szewska 38/39,
50-139 Wrocław, Poland. Tel.: +48 71 8740130; Fax: +48 71 8740304; E-mail:
piwowar@biochfarm.am.wroc.pl
Abstract: Aim: The main goal of the present study was the evaluation of
ischemia-modified albumin (IMA) in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and
estimation of its connection with vascular complications, glycemic control,
hypertension, dyslipidemia and obesity. Methods: In 76 diabetic patients and 25 control subjects, a
plasma level of IMA by manually performed, spectrophotometric Co(II)-albumin
binding assay was determined. Other parameters such as glucose, fructosamine,
HbA_{1c}, total cholesterol and its fractions (HDL, LDL), triglicerydes were
estimated by routine methods. Results: Diabetic patients had significantly higher level of
IMA in comparison with control subjects. There were not significant differences
between groups with various states of vascular complications although the
lowest concentration of IMA was observed in patients with microangiopathy.
Patients with poor glycemic control had higher IMA level in comparison with
these with good glycemic control. Significant correlation was observed between
IMA and HbA_{1c}. Among the risk factors, only blood pressure and LDL showed
a weak relationship with IMA level. Conclusions: Our results revealed, for the first time, higher
level of IMA in diabetic patients which confirms that it may be of non-cardiac
origin. We can suggest that the albumin molecule in plasma of diabetic patients
is modified in the chronic hypoxia conditions provoked mainly by hyperglycemia
and oxidative stress in diabetes.
