title: Qualitative and quantitative abnormalities of von Willebrand antigen in patients with diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Previous reported studies of vVWf antigen (vWf:Ag) in patients with diabetes mellitus have not shown qualitative abnormalities despite frequent documentation of raised vWf:Ag. Twenty two patients with established diabetes mellitus have been studied and qualitative abnormalities of vWf:Ag multimers were found in 10 patients who had poorer glycaemic control (as judged by plasma fructosamine) than the other 12 patients. Seven of the 22 patients were restudied after a 3 month period of improved glycaemic control and the vWf:Ag multimer abnormalities disappeared in 6 of these. Some of the structural abnormalities were accompanied by loss of vWf functional activity. As vWf:Ag is synthesised in the endothelial cell, vWf:Ag abnormalities during periods of poor glycaemic control may reflect endothelial cell damage with vWf:Ag release and possibly subsequent proteolysis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Haematology, Children's Hospital, Birmingham, U.K.
authors.forename: K J
authors.initials: KJ
authors.lastname: Pasi
authors.forename: M S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Enayat
authors.forename: P M
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Horrocks
authors.forename: A D
authors.initials: AD
authors.lastname: Wright
authors.forename: F G
authors.initials: FG
authors.lastname: Hill
mesh_terms: D000941:Antigens / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000097:blood* / Q000172:deficiency; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000378:metabolism; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000276:immunology; D003925:Diabetic Angiopathies / Q000097:blood / Q000276:immunology; D004730:Endothelium, Vascular / Q000276:immunology / Q000378:metabolism; D019270:Fructosamine; D006595:Hexosamines / Q000097:blood; D006801:Humans; D014841:von Willebrand Factor / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism
chemical_list: D000941:Antigens; D001786:Blood Glucose; D006595:Hexosamines; C029417:Von Willebrand antigen; D014841:von Willebrand Factor; D019270:Fructosamine