Vascular Reparative Mechanism in Diabetes

Vascular Reparative Mechanism by ACE2/Ang-(1-7) in Diabetes

The purpose of this research study is to study blood stem cells in diabetic patients and normal patients. We would like to better understand if these cells, called endothelial precursor cells (EPCs), are not working as expected in people with diabetes. We would like to see if the function of these cells can predict the development of diabetic retinopathy.

Diabetic retinopathy is an eye disease associated with diabetes in which the cells of the retina are damaged. It can cause blurred vision, vision loss, blindness or possible bleeding in the retina. Even with current treatments, the quality of life for people with diabetic retinopathy is much reduced.

Inclusion Criteria:

• Men or women 18 years or older
• 39 type 1 or type 2 diabetic patients
• 13 with mild retinopathy
• 13 with moderate retinopathy
• 13 with severe, nonproliferative retinopathy
• 39 age and sex matched healthy controls

Exclusion Criteria:

• Current pregnancy as evidence by a urine pregnancy test as the blood from a pregnant female will influence the results of the laboratory tests