title: Basal C-peptide Level as a Surrogate Marker of Subclinical Atherosclerosis in Type 2 Diabetic Patients.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  Recent studies have revealed that C-peptide induces smooth muscle cell proliferation and causes human atherosclerotic lesions in diabetic patients. The present study was designed to examine whether the basal C-peptide levels correlate with cardiovascular risk in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients.
  
  
  METHODS
  Data was obtained from 467 patients with T2DM from two institutions who were followed for four years. The medical findings of all patients were reviewed, and patients with creatinine >1.4 mg/dL, any inflammation or infection, hepatitis, or type 1 DM were excluded. The relationships between basal C-peptide and other clinical values were statistically analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  A simple correlation was found between basal C-peptide and components of metabolic syndrome (MS). Statistically basal C-peptide levels were significantly higher than the three different MS criteria used in the present study, the Adult Treatment Panel III (ATP III) of the National Cholesterol Education Program's (NCEP's), World Health Organization (WHO), and the International Diabetes Federation (IDF) criteria (NCEP-ATP III, P=0.001; IDF, P<0.001; WHO, P=0.029). The multiple regression analysis between intima-media thickness (IMT) and clinical values showed that basal C-peptide significantly correlated with IMT (P=0.043), while the analysis between the 10-year coronary heart disease risk by the United Kingdom Prospective Diabetes Study risk engine and clinical values showed that basal C-peptide did not correlate with IMT (P=0.226).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Basal C-peptide is related to cardiovascular predictors (IMT) of T2DM, suggesting that basal C-peptide does provide a further indication of cardiovascular disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Konyang University Hospital, Konyang University School of Medicine, Daejon, Korea.
authors.forename: Sung-Tae
authors.initials: ST
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Byung-Joon
authors.initials: BJ
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Dong-Mee
authors.initials: DM
authors.lastname: Lim
authors.forename: In-Geol
authors.initials: IG
authors.lastname: Song
authors.forename: Jang-Han
authors.initials: JH
authors.lastname: Jung
authors.forename: Kang-Woo
authors.initials: KW
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Keun-Young
authors.initials: KY
authors.lastname: Park
authors.forename: Youn-Zoo
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.forename: Dae-Ho
authors.initials: DH
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Gwan-Pyo
authors.initials: GP
authors.lastname: Koh