Beta-thromboglobulin levels in diabetes mellitus: influence of degenerative lesions and glycemic regulation using an artificial pancreas.

Plasma beta-Thromboglobulin levels (beta-TG) were measured by radioimmunoassay in two groups of diabetic patients: first group of 152 diabetics classified according to their vascular complications and anti-diabetic therapy, a second group of 21 poorly controlled insulin-dependent diabetics before and after 24 and 48 hours of strict blood glucose control using an artificial pancreas. beta-TG levels were on average higher in diabetic patients than in 47 healthy subjects. There was no difference between beta-TG levels in non-insulin-dependent patients with one or two microangiopathic lesions were not different from patients without complications. Only diabetics with severe degenerative lesions reveal plasma beta-TG levels significantly increased. Blood Glucose control during 48 hours is accompanied by a significant reduction of beta-TG levels, although the values remained higher than those of the control group. These results suggest that platelet hyperfunction shown in diabetes by beta-TG can precede the appearance of clinically detectable lesions, but the influence of lesions on platelet behaviour is still obscure. It appears however that strict metabolic control of diabetes could have some part in platelet hyperactivity.