Utility of Platelet Derived Microparticles in Predicting Complications of Diabetes Mellitus

Background: The long term complications related to DM are the main cause of mortality and morbidity in DM. However, many of the Diabetes related complications are detected later at end stage. Thus, there is a need for early diagnosis of the complications and biomarker that predicts the outcome of the disease and its complications. PMPs are the recent particles of interest that play a major role in pathophysiology of the disease and can be used to detect complications earlier.

Aim: To study the role of PMPs in DM

Objectives: To compare the levels of PMPs in adults who are Diabetics and in complicated diabetes

Material and Methods: A prospective case control study was done in Department of Pathology and Department of Medicine. 30 Diabetic patients were taken as cases while 30 healthy adults were taken as controls. Complete hematological profile was done for both the groups. Immunophenotyping using antibodies like CD45, CD41, CD61 and Annexin V+ was used to distinguish PMPs from platelets. The annexin V + particles were identified first and separately gated which were then observed in the CD41 vs CD 61 plots. The particles that were annexin V +, CD41+, CD 61+ were taken as PMPs.

Results: There was significant difference between Hemoglobin, total leucocyte count, platelet count and Annexin V between cases and controls as p< 0.05. PMPs ranged from 2± 169 with a mean ± SD 53.7 ±57.49 in controls and from 36 ± 2256 with a mean ± SD 574.50 ±647.98 in diabetic cases while PMPs in the complicated diabetes group was from 848.42± 810.51 (78-2264). Thus, higher levels of PMPs were seen in Diabetes and Diabetic complications and the difference was statistically significant.

Conclusion: Thus, this study shows that there is an increase in the levels of PMPs in DM and its complications and thus can play a role in the thrombotic state of the disease as well as can give rise to various DM related complications.