Original Article

Correlation of High-sensitivity C-reactive Protein and Plasma Fibrinogen with Individual Complications in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes

Authors: Kohzo Takebayashi, MD, PHD, Mariko Suetsugu, MD, Rika Matsutomo, MD, PHD, Sadao Wakabayashi, MD, PHD, Yoshimasa Aso, MD, PHD, Toshihiko Inukai, MD, PHD

Abstract

Objective: We investigated the correlation between acute-phase reactants, ie, high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) or fibrinogen and diabetic complications.


Methods: In 73 patients with type 2 diabetes, we investigated associations between both markers and carotid artery intimal medial complex thickness (IMT), heart rate variability, or urinary albumin excretion (UAE).


Results: Log hsCRP and fibrinogen correlated significantly with each other (r = 0.3701, P = 0.0013). Fibrinogen correlated negatively with the coefficient of variation of RR intervals (CVRR) and positively with log UAE (r = −0.2433, P = 0.0381; r = 0.4815, P < 0.0001), while log hsCRP did not. Furthermore both log hsCRP and fibrinogen did not correlate with IMT.


Conclusion: We concluded that despite their close correlation, fibrinogen compared with hsCRP might be closely associated with diabetic microangiopathy and that both markers might not correlate with IMT as a marker of macroangiopathy.


Key Points


* We investigated the role of two acute-phase reactants; high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) and fibrinogen, as markers of diabetic complications in patients with type 2 diabetes.


* In the current study, fibrinogen, but not hsCRP had a significant association with diabetic nephropathy or neuropathy. Both hsCRP and fibrinogen did not correlate with IMT as a marker of macroangiopathy.


* We concluded that fibrinogen compared with hsCRP might be closely associated with diabetic microangiopathy and that these might not have a close association with diabetic macroangiopathy.

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