Circulating Thrombomodulin and Hematological Alterations in Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Retinopathy

To clarify the relationship between circulating thrombomodulin (TM) and endothelial cell damage in diabetes mellitus, plasma levels of TM were quantitated by an enzyme-linked immunoabsorbant assay (ELISA) in 164 type 2 diabetes mellitus and 72 normal control subjects, and these levels were compared with those of von Willebrand factor antigen (vWf : Ag), thrombin-antithrombin III complexes (TAT), plasmin-α2-plasmin inhibitor complexes (PIC), fibrinogen, D-dimer, urinary albumin excretion rate (AER), intima-media thickness (IMT) and plaque score of the common carotid artery assessed with high-resolution B-mode ultrasonography. Plasma levels of TM, vWf : Ag, TAT, PIC, AER, IMT and plaque score were significantly increased in the diabetic patients compared to the normal control subjects. Plasma TM levels showed significant correlation with vWf : Ag (r = 0.350, p < 0.0001), TAT (r = 0.334, p