title: Serum levels of type III procollagen peptide in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Serum levels of type III procollagen peptide (P-III-P) were investigated in 19 patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) and in 48 (25 orally treated, 23 insulinized) patients with type 2 (non insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus. Among patients with type 2 diabetes, 16 orally treated and 14 insulin-treated subjects had macrovascular complications. P-III-P levels were not correlated with the duration of diabetes and with glucose control, nor were there any significant sex and age differences in the levels. P-III-P values were significantly higher in the sera of insulin-treated non insulin-dependent diabetic patients with macroangiopathy. These high values (18.5 +/- 10.8 ng/ml) were in contrast with normal values in healthy subjects (8.5 +/- 2.5, P less than 0.001), insulin-dependent diabetics (9.9 +/- 3.4 ng/ml, P less than 0.01), non insulin-dependent diabetics treated with oral agents (8.2 +/- 2.6 ng/ml, P less than 0.001) and insulin-treated non insulin-dependent patients without macroangiopathy (8.2 +/- 4.9 ng/ml, P less than 0.001). Although this study does not demonstrate that an increase in type III collagen synthesis is responsible for the pathogenesis of macroangiopathy, it suggests that insulin-dependent fibroblast sensitization may play a role in the acceleration and progression of macroangiopathy.
authors.affiliation: Istituto di Clinica Medica I, University of Palermo Policlinico, Italy.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Triolo
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Giardina
authors.forename: M R
authors.initials: MR
authors.lastname: Zarcone
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Seddio
authors.forename: G D
authors.initials: GD
authors.lastname: Bompiani
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood*; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011347:Procollagen / Q000097:blood*
chemical_list: D011347:Procollagen