Summary
We have studied 155 subjects, 48 normals, 36 diabetics without complications, 44 with
complications and 27 patients with macroangiopathy. β-Thromboglobulin (β-TG) and platelet
factor 4 (PF4) are elevated in the patients groups. There is no correlation between
the plasma levels of β-TG and the stages of either retinopathy or macroangiopathy
or nephropathy. The difference is more marked between normals and diabetics with neuropathy
(p = 0.026). The aggregation response to ADP and platelet activating factor (PAF)
is enhanced at lower stimulator concentration. Using the β-TG, PF4 and aggregation
values the discriminant analysis allows a distinction of several subgroups especially
with nephropathy and neuropathy (Table 6).
Key words
Diabetes mellitus - Nephropathy - Platelet aggregation - βThromboglobulin - Platelet
factor 4
