Reevaluation of circulating prostacyclin and thromboxane in diabetes.

Abstract Although several investigators have attempted to measure the plasma levels of prostacyclin (PGI 2 ) and thromboxane A 2 (TXA 2 ) in diabetes and normal subjects, their results have been controversial. In this study, we measured plasma PGI 2 and TXA 2 levels in diabetic patients and normal subjects. The plasma PGI 2 and TXA 2 were determined by RIA as 6-keto-PGF 1a and TXB 2 , respectively. The plasma levels of 6-keto-PGF 1a were significantly reduced in diabetics with microangiopathy (52.5 ± 18.9 pg/ml, mean ± SE, p 1a than normal subjects (57.8 ± 26.1 vs. 70.2 ± 20.7 pg/ml), though this was not significant statistically. The plasma 6-keto-PGF 1a levels did not significantly correlate with either age of the patients or duration of diabetes in diabetics. Interestingly, however, hemoglobin Alc significantly correlated inversely with 6-keto-PGF 1a levels in diabetics without microangiopathy (r=−0.60, p 2 in diabetics were significantly higher than those of normal subjects (155.2 ± 69.5 vs. 108.0 ± 30.0 pg/ml, p 2 and TXA 2 may contribute to the development of diabetic microangiopathy.