Angiopoietin-2 And Vascular Complications Of Type 2 Diabetes

Cardiovascular diseases are the leading cause of death among patients with diabetes mellitus type 2 (T2DM), and microvascular complications of diabetes are associated with high morbidity and diminished quality of life. Angiopoietin-2 (Ang-2) is essential for endothelial physiology and plays an important role in vascular-related diseases. Its concentration in blood is elevated in patients with T2DM in comparison to those with normal glucose tolerance and in subjects with diabetic macrovascular complications compared to those without them. As for microvascular complications, it was found that serum Ang-2 concentration was significantly higher among T2DM patients with diabetic retinopathy compared to diabetic patients free of this complication. Moreover, in an animal model, Ang-2 mRNA expression was elevated in endothelial cells isolated from diabetic mice's kidneys when compared to non-diabetic controls, which suggests its role in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy. Targeting molecular Ang-2 pathway may become a therapeutic aim, especially that anti-angiogenic therapies are considered to be effective treatment methods in this field.