Changes in endothelial microparticles in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and lower-extremity arterial disease

Objective To examine whether CD144 positive endothelial microparticles(EMP) is useful as a specific marker of endothelial cells(EC) dysfunction.Methods Fifteen healthy volunteers,fifteen patients with diabetes mellitus without obvious complication and fifteen patients with diabetes mellitus accompanied lower-extremity arterial disease were enrolled in the trial.levers of CD144 positive endothelial microparticles were measured by flow cytometry.Results Compared with healthy volunteers,the patients with diabetes mellitus had higer lever of CD144 positive microparticles.(418.5±102.65 vs 617.13±147.19counts/μl,P0.01).Then compared with patients of diabetes mellitus without lower-extremity arterial disease,those with lower-extremity arterial disease had still higher lever of EMP.(617.13±147.19 vs 1114.58±382.10counts/μl,P0.05).Conclusion The CD144 positive EMP exist in plasma and plasma CD144-EMP can be a clinical specific and quantitative marker of EC dysfunction.