Background: Angiogenin serum levels were measured in a large group of type 1 diabetic young patients, looking at whether increased Angiogenin concentrations are associated with long-term glycemic control and microvascular complications.
Materials and methods: Four groups of patients were compared to 223 age- and sex- matched healthy controls: 196 type 1 diabetic patients (age range 3-24 years, onset of diabetes before the age of 12 years; duration of disease longer than 2 years), without microvascular complications were divided into three groups on the basis of age (group 1, n = 37, age < 6 years; group 2, n = 71, age 6-12 years; group 3, n = 88, age > 12 years); 53 adolescents and young adults (age 16.1-29.7 years) with diabetic microvascular complications (background, preproliferative or proliferative retinopathy, albumin excretion rate 20-200 microg min-1) (group 4).
Results: Angiogenin serum levels were significantly increased in diabetic pre-school and pre-pubertal children, and particularly elevated in pubertal subjects compared with age- and sex-matched controls. Adolescents and young adults with microvascular complications had very high angiogenin concentrations. One-year mean HbA1c values were correlated with angiogenin levels (r = 0.389; p < 0.01). In poorly controlled diabetics (HbA1c > 10%), long-term (2 years) improvement of glycemic control determined a significant reduction of angiogenin concentrations in both pre-school and pre-pubertal children as well as in pubertal youngsters.
Conclusions: Angiogenin serum concentrations are increased in diabetic children even before puberty. Severity of microvascular complications is associated with markedly increased angiogenin serum levels. Long-term tight glycemic control determines a consistent reduction of angiogenin concentrations.