Basement-membrane thickening and diabetic microangiopathy.

This report considers the pathophysiologic significance of capillary basement-membrane thickening in diabetic nephropathy and retinopathy and the relationship of capillary basement-membrane thickening to increased susceptibility to infections and to increased vascular permeability in diabetes. The evidence available (1) indicates that basement-membrane thickening affects most if not all capillaries of the diabetic and may contribute to increased susceptibility to infection and (2) suggests that increased capillary permeability in diabetes need not be attributed to basement-membrane changes per se, but rather may be due to changes in the cellular elements of the capillary wall.