Angiopoietin-like 2 is a potential biomarker for diabetic foot patients

BACKGROUND: Circulating angiopoietin-like 2 (ANGPTL2) protein levels are known to be significantly increased in numerous chronic inflammatory diseases and are associated with the diagnosis and/or prognosis of cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, chronic kidney disease, and various types of cancers. However, no data regarding the relationship between ANGPTL2 and diabetic foot ulcers (DFUs) are available. Here, we explored the potential link between ANGPTL2 and DFUs. METHODS: A total of 68 participants with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were recruited, including 28 patients with DFU and 40 diabetic patients without DFUs. The clinical characteristics of T2DM patients with and without DFUs were compared. Serum concentrations of ANGPTL2 and VEGF were measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) kits. The correlations between ANGPTL2 and clinical variables were analyzed. Multiple linear regression and logistic regression models were constructed to test the associations between ANGPTL2 and the severity and presence of DFUs. RESULTS: Serum levels of ANGPTL2 were higher in patients with DFUs than those in diabetic controls. Serum ANGPTL2 levels were higher in the advanced stages of DFUs. Spearman correlation analysis revealed strong positive associations of ANGPTL2 with CRP, VEGF and ESR in all subjects. In addition, serum ANGPTL2 was still positively correlated with DFUs stage after adjusting the risk factors. After adjusting for age, sex, HbA1C and duration of diabetes, ANGPTL2 was found to be independently associated with the presence of DFUs. CONCLUSIONS: Circulating ANGPTL2 levels are an independent risk factor for DFUs. This suggests that ANGPTL2 may play important roles in the development of DFUs, a possibility that needs to investigated in prospective studies.