title: Patient selection and vitamin E treatment in diabetes mellitus.
abstract: In diabetes, there is an increase in oxidative stress due to elevated glucose levels in the plasma. High glucose promotes glycosylation, of both plasma and cellular proteins, which particularly affects the endothelial-cell lining of the blood vessel wall and interferes with its normal function. Thus, diabetes mellitus patients suffer from a higher incidence of cardiovascular complications such as atherosclerosis as compared with the nondiabetic population. Haptoglobin (Hp) is a plasma protein that binds free hemoglobin and prevents heme-iron mediated oxidation. There are three different types of Hp, which differ in their antioxidant ability. Several clinical studies have shown that the Hp 2-2 genotype is associated with higher incidence of cardiovascular diseases among diabetics. Vitamin E, a low-cost, easy-to-use antioxidant, was found to decrease the risk of developing cardiovascular diseases in Hp 2-2 diabetic patients. This review summarizes several studies that show the importance of vitamin E supplementation in a specific subgroup of patients, diabetic individuals carrying the Hp 2-2 genotype.
authors.affiliation: The Ruth and Bruce Rappaport Faculty of Medicine, Technion-Israel Institute of Technology, 1 Efron Street, Bat Galim PO 9649, Haifa, 31096, Israel. hagitity@gmail.com
authors.forename: Hagit
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Goldenstein
authors.forename: Nina S
authors.initials: NS
authors.lastname: Levy
authors.forename: Yisrael T
authors.initials: YT
authors.lastname: Lipener
authors.forename: Andrew P
authors.initials: AP
authors.lastname: Levy
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D000975:Antioxidants / Q000627:therapeutic use; D001786:Blood Glucose; D002318:Cardiovascular Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000517:prevention & control; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000503:physiopathology; D005838:Genotype; D006242:Haptoglobins / Q000235:genetics*; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D018384:Oxidative Stress; D018579:Patient Selection; D014810:Vitamin E / Q000627:therapeutic use*
chemical_list: D000975:Antioxidants; D001786:Blood Glucose; C485359:HP protein, human; D006242:Haptoglobins; D014810:Vitamin E