Circulating vascular endothelial growth factor is unaffected by acute hyperglycemia and hyperinsulinemia in type 1...

Circulating levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) may predict microvascular complications in type 1 diabetes mellitus and are elevated when metabolic control is poor. We tested whether serum VEGF is influenced by prevailing glucose and insulin levels.

In 15 type 1 diabetic patients, serum VEGF, plasma von Willebrand factor antigen (vWF-Ag), and serum soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (s-ICAM) levels were measured after 210 min of hyperglycemia (blood glucose target 12.0 mmol/l) and hyperinsulinemia (insulin infused at 120 mU/kg/h), alone and in combination. These were then compared with the levels obtained at the end of a 210-min normoglycemic (blood glucose target 5.0 mmol/l) standard insulin clamp (insulin infused at 30 mU/kg/h).

VEGF (p>0.60) as well as vWF-AG (p>0.80) and s-ICAM (p>0.20) remained unchanged at the end of the three intervention periods.

These findings suggest that no special precautions, in terms of concurrent measurement of glucose or timing of insulin administration, are necessary when interpreting circulating VEGF in this patient category.