Vascular endothelial growth factor and its soluble receptor, Flt-1, are not correlated to erythropoietin in diabetics with normal or reduced renal function.
OBJECTIVE
Recombinant erythropoietin upregulates the expression of the vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) receptors, Flt-1 (VEGFR-1) and KDR/Flk-1 (VEGFR-2), in endothelial cells. The integrity of the VEGF system seems to be crucial for the regulation of endothelial permeability and thus for the avoidance of renal protein leakage. As albuminuria/proteinuria is a hallmark of diabetic nephropathy, we examined cross-sectionally in 35 type 1 and 37 type 2 diabetic patients with various degrees of renal dysfunction and albuminuria whether there was an interrelationship between intrinsic erythropoietin (EPO) and VEGF/Flt-1.


RESULTS
In patients with plasma creatinine values < or =1.5 (n = 53) or >1.5 mg/dL (n = 19), the mean serum EPO was 5.6 +/- 4.4 and 10.2 +/- 7.0 mU/mL (P = 0.02), respectively. In the two groups, urinary and serum VEGF(165) concentrations were similarly distributed (mean 94.3 +/- 91.8 vs 108 +/- 72.2 ng/L and 91.7 +/- 76.8 vs 91.9 +/- 74.9 ng/L, respectively; both P = NS). The mean urinary Flt-1 for the two groups amounted to 0.14 +/- 0.35 and 0.51 +/- 0.93 ng/mL (P = 0.045), respectively. No correlation between VEGF or Flt-1 and EPO was apparent.


CONCLUSIONS
Our data suggest that in vivo EPO does not affect the functionality and/or production of components of the VEGF/Flt-1 system in diabetics with normal or reduced renal function.
Lenz
Tomas
T
Medical Clinic IV - Nephrology, University Hospital, Frankfurt am Main, Germany.
Gauer
Stefan
S
Weich
Herbert A
HA
Haak
Thomas
T
Bergner
Raoul
R
Gossmann
Jan
J
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D000740:Anemia / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D004921:Erythropoietin / Q000097:blood*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000502:physiology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D012995:Solubility; D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1 / Q000097:blood*
D042461:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor A; D004921:Erythropoietin; D040281:Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor Receptor-1