Diabetes mellitus exacerbates advanced glycation end product accumulation in the veins of end-stage renal failure patients

• Main Authors: Nazratun, N., Mahmood Merican, A., Kuppusamy, U.R., Ahmad, T.S., Tan, S.Y.
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Published: Arnold Publishers (journals now owned by Sage) 2007
• Subjects: R Medicine
• Online Access: http://eprints.um.edu.my/2496/1/Vasc_Med-2006-Nazratun-245-50.pdf; http://eprints.um.edu.my/2496/; http://vmj.sagepub.com/content/11/4/245.abstract
• Institution: Universiti Malaya

The excess accumulation of advanced glycation end products (AGEs) contributes to the chronic complications of type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) and renal failure. Biopsy specimens (n = 184) of arterial (n = 92) and venous (n = 92) tissues were obtained (radial artery and cephalic vein) from end-stage renal disease (ESRD) patients with or without DM and normal healthy subjects (n = 12) requiring surgery (trauma patients). Immunohistochemical assessment of the blood vessels revealed the presence of pentosidine (AGE marker) in both veins and arteries in 72% of the ESRD patients. The percentage of arteries and veins that showed positive pentosidine staining in ESRD patients with type 2 DM alone was 100% and 92% respectively, in the non-diabetic ESRD patients it was <70% (for arteries and veins), and in the ESRD patients with hypertension as an additional co-morbidity to type 2 DM it was 70% and 82%, respectively. The veins of ESRD patients with DM showed a strong (+++) positive staining and very strong (++++) positive staining was observed in the patients with DM and hypertension. Only mild (+) or moderate (++) pentosidine staining intensity was observed in the arteries of ESRD patients without or with comorbidities, respectively. The accumulation of AGE in the vein rather than the artery may be a better reflection of the extent of complications of ESRD.