Effect of intensive glycaemic control on fibrinogen plasma concentrations in patients with Type II diabetes mellitus. Relation with β- fibrinogen genotype

Abstract

Recent studies show that in diabetic subjects an increase of plasma fibrinogen concentration is associated with a high risk of cardiovascular complications. Environmental and genetic factors contribute to the plasma fibrinogen concentration. Several studies indicate a relation between the polymorphism in the 5' region of the β-fibrinogen gene and plasma protein concentrations and in diabetes the possible influence of hyperglycaemia on fibrinogen is still debated. In this study we investigated these relations. Hind III polymorphism was evaluated by a polymerase chain reaction- technique. On the basis of the observed allelic combination of fibrinogen βgene polymorphism and the existence of poor metabolic control (glycated haemoglobin ≥7.5%), 50 Type II diabetic patients were selected. They were divided into three groups according to their β-gene polymorphism (α1α1: n = 20, α1α2: n = 15, α2α2: n = 15) and then intensive insulin therapy was started. After 3 months of intensive treatment, the improvement in glycaemic control was equivalent, in terms of glycated haemoglobin, in all the three groups. A fibrinogen reduction was observed in α1α2 and α2α2 but not in α1α1 subjects. These results underline a possible relation between fibrinogen genotypes and glycaemic control in determining plasma fibrinogen concentrations in diabetic patients.