Study of endothelial progenitor cells in young diabetic patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

Purpose Purpose: To evaluate the presence of Endothelial Progenitor Cells (EPCs) in the peripheral blood of young patients with Diabetes Mellitus Type I (T1DM). Methods Blood samples were collected and analyzed from 23 individuals: 15 patients with DM (mean DM duration‐years: 13 (range:3‐31)), mean age‐years: 26(9‐45) and 8 controls without DM mean age‐years: 32 (range:10‐41). The presence of Diabetic Retinopathy (DR) was documented with slit lamp examination and fluorescence angiography, according to the Early Treatment of Diabetic Retinopathy Study (ETDRS) criteria. The EPCs were detected with flow cytometry using the following primary antibodies: anti‐CD34, anti‐CD45, anti‐CD133 and anti‐hVEGFR2. Results Progenitor EPCs, defined as CD45‐/CD34+/CD133+/VEGFR2+ cells, were detected in 10/23 samples (mean%: 0.00069, SEM:0.000261). 7/15 patients had EPCs detected in the periphery blood (mean%: 0.000899, SEM:0.000384) . EPCs were detected in all 5 patients with PDR (mean%: 0.000998, SEM:0.000206). Also, 1/5 patients with NPDR (0.0035%) and 1/5 patients without clinically proven DR (0.005%) had detectable EPCs. Finally, circulating EPCs were identified in 3/8 individuals of the control group (mean%: 0.000299, SEM:0.000169). Conclusion CD45‐/CD34+/CD133+/hVEGFR2+ EPCs were detected in the peripheral blood of non diabetic persons and diabetic patients with or without evidence of DR. The clarification of the presence of EPCs in the peripheral blood early in the disease course could potentially offer significant information about the pathophysiology of diabetic microangiopathy.