Abstract
BackgroundMore than seventeen million Americans are afflicted with diabetes and these people have four times the rate of coronary heart disease (CHD) as non-diabetics. Furthermore, diabetic women have a 3.8 fold greater risk for CHD compared to diabetic men. Little is known why diabetic women are at an increased risk for CHD. It is possible that diabetic women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a greater inflammatory response resulting in an increased platelet neutrophil conjugate formation than diabetic men with CVD or non-diabetic women with CVD. This study tested the hypothesis that platelet-neutrophil conjugates, which are associated with several cardiovascular diseases, are increased in diabetic women with CVD compared to diabetic men with CVD and non-diabetic women with CVD.MethodsPlatelet-neutrophil conjugates were quantified by flow cytometry. The primary method is through direct binding of the neutrophil PSGL-1 receptor with P-selectin expressed on the platelet.ResultsIn this study, we found when the blood was stimulated with PAF (platelet activating factor), diabetic women without CVD demonstrated an increase in platelet-neutrophil conjugates compared to diabetic women with CVD and non-diabetic women with CVD (% conjugates: 63.3 ± 5.2 vs 46.8 ± 4.3 vs 48.6 ± 3.4, p < 0.05). The stimulation ratio was significantly increased in diabetic and non-diabetic women with CVD in comparison to diabetic men with CVD (ratio: 3.3 ± 0.4 vs 3.3 ± 0.3 vs 2.1 ± 0.3, p < 0.05).ConclusionThese results suggest that platelets and neutrophils in diabetic women have a greater potential for activation compared to diabetic men and may contribute to thrombosis/inflammation and the greater severity of coronary heart disease observed in diabetic women as compared to diabetic men.
Highlights
More than seventeen million Americans are afflicted with diabetes and these people have four times the rate of coronary heart disease (CHD) as non-diabetics
There was a significant difference of age in the NDW+cardiovascular disease (CVD) and diabetic women with cardiovascular disease (DW+CVD) groups compared to the non-diabetic women without cardiovascular disease (NDW-CVD) and diabetic women without cardiovascular disease (DW-CVD) groups (p < 0.05)
There was a significant difference in body mass index (BMI) of the non-diabetic women with cardiovascular disease (NDW+CVD) group compared to DW-CVD group (p < 0.05) and DW-CVD group compared to NDW-CVD group (p < 0.05)
Summary
More than seventeen million Americans are afflicted with diabetes and these people have four times the rate of coronary heart disease (CHD) as non-diabetics. It is possible that diabetic women with cardiovascular disease (CVD) have a greater inflammatory response resulting in an increased platelet neutrophil conjugate formation than diabetic men with CVD or non-diabetic women with CVD. This study tested the hypothesis that platelet-neutrophil conjugates, which are associated with several cardiovascular diseases, are increased in diabetic women with CVD compared to diabetic men with CVD and non-diabetic women with CVD. Diabetes poses a significant risk factor for cardiovascular disease in both men and women, but the incidence of type 2 diabetes is markedly greater in women [1]. It is known that diabetic women have a significantly greater risk and severity of cardiovascular disease than diabetic men. Despite the importance of complicating factors in the severity of heart disease in diabetes, little is known about the interrelationships of risk factors and cardiovascular disorders, in diabetic women. Since inflammation amplifies atherosclerosis and ischemia-reperfusion injury, it is important to investigate if this complication is exacerbated in diabetic women
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