Diabetes Care, Vol 16, Issue 5 689-694, Copyright © 1993 by American Diabetes Association
Relationship between glycemic control and collagen-linked advanced glycosylation end products in type I diabetes
PJ Beisswenger, LL Moore and TJ Curphey
Department of Medicine, Dartmouth Medical School, Hanover, New Hampshire.
OBJECTIVE--To evaluate the relationship between glycemic control over a
3-yr period and tissue levels of advanced glycosylation end products. The
development of renal failure, blindness, and generalized vascular occlusion
continue to be the most serious ravages of diabetes. Tissue glycosylation
and AGEs are felt to play an important role in the development of these
sequelae, but no data are available on the relationship between AGEs and
long-term glycemic control. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS--We studied 48
subjects with type I diabetes. Glycemic control was determined by mean
levels of HbA1, and AGEs were determined on collagenase digests of skin
collagen by fluorescence at excitation/emission readings of 335/385 and
370/440 nm. RESULTS--To evaluate the relationship between glycemic control
and AGE levels, control was classified as good (< or = 8.5%), fair (>
8.5% but < or = 10%), or poor (> 10%) on the basis of mean HbA1
levels during 1- and 3-yr periods. Analysis of the mean AGE levels for each
level of glycemic control over 1-3 yr showed that AGEs differed
significantly across categories of glycemic control (P = 0.04 and 0.003),
with the lowest AGE levels associated with good and the highest with poor
glycemic control. The relationship also was highly significant when
adjusted for age, sex, and duration of diabetes, and when examined by
Pearson's correlation coefficients (P = 0.02 and 0.008).
CONCLUSIONS--Finding a relationship between glycemic control over 1-3 yr
and tissue levels of AGEs suggests that AGEs can be modified and possibly
reversed by improved glucose levels.