Anticardiolipin antibodies in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus.

BACKGROUND

There is controversy about an increased prevalence of antiphospholipid antibodies in diabetic patients. The possible implications are little known.

METHODS

We prospectively studied all consecutive outpatients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) attended to in an Internal Medicine office. IgM and IgG anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA) were determined by standardized enzyme-linked immunoassay.

RESULTS

Fifty-six patients were included. Only one patient (1.8%) had a titer of IgM ACA higher than 15 MPL units and no patient had a titer of IgG ACA higher than 15 GPL units. Six patients (10.7%) had low IgM ACA titers (4-15 MPL units) and 18 patients (32.1%) had low IgG ACA titers (4-15 GPL units). There were no differences in the frequencies of a low IgM or IgG ACA titer or in the means of IgM and IgG ACA titers in patients with complicated and uncomplicated DM, with and without cardiovascular disease, with and without nephropathy, or with and without retinopathy.

CONCLUSIONS

Moderate to high ACA titers must be exceptional in patients with type 2 DM. Low ACA titers may occur in patients with type 2 DM. These low titers do not seem to be associated with complicated DM, cardiovascular disease, nephropathy or retinopathy.