Circulating Endothelial Microparticles and Aortic Stiffness in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Background and objectives: Diabetes mellitus represents a metabolic disorder the incidence of which has been on the increase in recent years. The well-known long-term complications of this disease encompass a wide spectrum of renal, neurological and cardiovascular conditions. The aim of the study was to investigate the serum concentration of endothelial microparticles (EMPs) as well as selected noninvasive parameters of the ascending aorta stiffness calculated with echocardiography. Materials and Methods: 58 patients were enrolled in this study—38 subjects diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 20 healthy controls. The analyzed populations did not differ significantly with respect to age, renal function, systolic and diastolic blood pressure. Results: The patients with T2DM and concomitant hypertension presented higher levels of EMPs in comparison with diabetic normotensive subjects. Among patients with T2DM and hypertension, aortic stiffness assessed with the elasticity index (Ep) was higher and the aortic compliance index (D) lower than in the diabetic normotensive group. No correlation between the amount of EMPs and lipid profile, C-reactive protein (CRP) level and glycemia, was observed in the studied group. There was, however, a statistically significant positive correlation between the creatinine level and amount of EMPs, while the negative relationship was documented for EMPs level and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Conclusions: Considering the elevated number of EMPs in diabetic patients with hypertension as well as the positive correlation between EMPs and serum creatinine level, EMPs assessment could be useful in identifying patients who are at high risk of organ damage due to diabetes mellitus.