Plasma endoglin in Type2 diabetic patients with nephropathy

Background: Diabetic nephropathy may be a common complication of diabetes mellitus. Endoglin is glycoprotein located on cell surfaces of endothelial cells and is part of the transforming growth factor beta (TGF- β) receptor. Endoglin expression is enhanced in endothelial cells during injury and inflammation. The aim of this study was to estimate the plasma level of soluble endoglin (sEng) in type 2 diabetic patients (with and without nephropathy). Also to explore its availability as marker for disease progression. Methods: In this study, sixty eight patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) were included; the patients were sub-grouped to normoalbuminuria without nephropathy and moderately increased albuminuria (microalbuminuria) with nephropathy groups with 13 individuals as control group. Plasma soluble endoglin level was determined using ELISA technique. Fasting plasma glucose (FPG), glycated haemoglobin (HbA1c), lipid profile, and creatinine were determined using colorimetric assay, whereas glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was calculated. Results: The plasma level of sEng of both normoalbuminuria group 1 and microalbuminuria group 2 were significantly higher when compared to control group. While, the plasma level of sEng in microalbuminuria group 2 was nonsignificant lower when compared to normoalbuminuria group 1. Also, there was a significant positive association between plasma level of sEng and HbA1c, HDL-C and urinary albumin concentration in normoalbuminuria group. Conclusion: Plasma level of soluble Endoglin is markedly increase prior to alteration in endothelial function, and increases to lesser extent with the developing of diabetic nephropathy which indicated disease progression and development of vascular abnormalities.