Serum C4 concentration, diabetes mellitus and diabetic microangiopathy
Costa, B.; Belmonte, M.A.; Callizo, J.; Pastor, R.M.; Huguet, R.; Richart, C.
Medicina Clinica 91(19): 728-731
1988
ISSN/ISBN: 0025-7753 PMID: 3236916 Document Number: 310516
A prospective study of the value of serum C4 complement fraction in diabetic patients was carried out to: a) assess its clinical significance in type I and II diabetes mellitus, and b) establish its possible prognostic value regarding microvascular complications. C4 was measured in the sera of 60 healthy individuals and in 230 patients who had attended the Diabetic Unit of the hospital for 1 year; 65 (28.3%) were type I and 165 (71.7%) were type II. The occurrence of microangiopathy was evaluated by the detection of diabetic retinopathy and nephropathy. In 13 (20%) type I and in 2 (0.9%) type II patients reduced C4 concentrations (21.1 .+-. 7.6 mg/dl) were found; this difference was highly significant (p < 0.0001). The whole of type I patients had C4 values significantly lower than normal individuals (27.5 .+-. 7.5; p < 0.001) and type II patients (27.2 .+-. 7.7; p < 0.001). There was a significant positive correlation between C4 level and age in type I patients (r = 0.36, p = 0.003) that was not shown for type II patients (r = 0.01, p = 0.88). No significant differences were found regarding the serum C4 concentrations between patients with microangiopathy and in those without it. Therefore, a relationship between reduced serum C4 concentration and type I diabetes was shown, without a prognostic implication on microvascular diabetic complications.