CAPILLARY FILTRATION COEFFICIENT IN TYPE-II (NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT) DIABETES

Changes in microvascular permeability may be important in the pathogen esis of diabetic microangiopathy. In order to assess microvascular flu id permeability, the capillary filtration coefficient was determined i n the forearm of 24 normotensive type II diabetic patients with minima l evidence of microangiopathy and satisfactory glycemic control, and 2 4 age- and sex-matched control subjects, using a sensitive strain gaug e plethysmographic system. The median capillary filtration coefficient was not significantly different in the type II diabetic patients and control subjects [5.3 (3.2 - 9.1) x 10(-3) mL . min-1. 100 g tissue -1 . mm Hg-1 versus 5.4 (3.5 - 8.0) x 10(-3) mL . min-1. 100 g tissue-1. mm Hg-1, p = 0.98)]. There were no correlations between capillary fil tration coefficient and age, blood pressure, body mass index, duration of diabetes, glycemic control, or the presence of microvascular compl ications. These findings contrast with type I diabetes, where capillar y filtration coefficient is elevated at an early stage in the disease, and lend support to the theory that there are differences in early mi crovascular functional abnormalities between type I and type II diabet es. (Journal of Diabetes and Its Complications 8;2:111-116, 1994.)