Physical training decreases plasma thrombomodulin in type I and type II diabetic patients

Endothelial damage is an early step in the pathogenesis of atherosclerosis and its improvement through physical training can contribute to the known reduction of cardiovascular risk associated with exercise. An increase in some endothelium-dependent haemostatic parameters, considered as markers of endothelial damage, has been observed in diabetic patients.

The effect of a three-month physical exercise programme on thrombomodulin, tissue factor pathway inhibitor, plasminogen activator inhibitor, tissue-type plasminogen activator and von-Willebrand factor was evaluated in 14 well-controlled patients with Type I (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and 13 patients with Type II (non-insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus (HbA1c 6.5 +/- 0.8 and 7.4 +/- 0.8%, respectively). A matched control group was also studied.

Thrombomodulin at baseline was higher in both Type I and Type II diabetic patients than in their respective matched control subjects (50.0 +/- 16 vs 31.1 +/- 8.7 microg/l, p < 0.05; 51.0 +/- 10 vs 28.5 +/- 11 microg/l, p <0.05, respectively). After the exercise programme, thrombomodulin plasma concentrations had decreased (p < 0.05) in both groups of patients, with final thrombomodulin values being similar to those observed in their control groups (38.2 +/- 11 microg/l for Type I and 34.6 +/- 12 microg/l for Type II patients). The thrombomodulin decrement correlated with baseline thrombomodulin and VO2max increase in Type I diabetic patients. A decrease in tissue factor pathway inhibitor was also observed in Type II diabetic patients.

We conclude that the normalisation of plasma thrombomodulin concentrations in Type I and Type II diabetic patients after physical training might reflect the improvement in endothelial function associated with physical exercise.