Increased functional and structural skin capillary density in type 1 diabetes patients with vascular complications

The present study was designed to study skin capillary density and recruitment of the upper and lower extremities in patients with type 1 diabetes with vascular complications, when compared to patients without complications and healthy subjects. We used intravital video-microscopy to measure basal and maximal (during venous congestion) skin capillary densities as well as capillary recruitment using post-occlusive reactive hyperemia (PORH) in the dorsum of the fingers and toes. Our results showed that besides microvascular vasodilation and loss of autoregulatory capacity, patients with type 1 diabetes with vascular complications present increased skin capillary density in both extremities.