VEGF levels in plasma in relation to metabolic control, inflammation, and microvascular complications in type-2 diabetes: A cohort study

The vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) level in human circulation may reflect the severity of endothelial dysfunction in patients with diabetes mellitus, which leads to diabetic microvascular complications. We determined plasma VEGF levels as well as metabolic control and inflammatory factors in 26 healthy subjects and 52 type-2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients with or without diabetic microvascular complications. Pearson correlation coefficient was used to evaluate the associations among those indices. The results showed that VEGF levels in plasma were positively correlated with fasting blood glucose level, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c) level, type 1 helper T cell (Th1) percentage, and Th1/Th2 ratio, while they were negatively correlated with regulatory T cell percentage. Multiple linear regression analysis showed that HbA1c and Th1/Th2 ratio were the independent predictors of VEGF levels in T2DM patients. Thus, in T2DM patients with poor glycemic control as well as an elevated Th1/Th2 cell ratio, more VEGF might be released.