Our objective was to determine whether the fluorescence of skin collagen, which may reflect the accumulation of advanced glycosylation end products, is increased in young patients with type I (insulindependent) diabetes. Our study design was a crosssectional case-control study in a referral-based diabetic clinic in an academic hospital. Study subjects comprised a convenience sample of 18 type I diabetic patients aged 17–30 yr and 8 age-matched healthy control subjects. The fluorescence of collagen was measured in skin biopsy material. Collagen-linked fluorescence (CLF) was increased in diabetic patients (mean 10.5 [range 5.8–15.8] U/mg) compared with control subjects (7.6 [5.6–10.1] U/mg, P < 0.02). In diabetic patients, CLF was related to age (r = 0.581) and duration of diabetes (r = 0.697) but not concentration of glycosylated hemoglobin (r = 0.082). Partial correlation analysis demonstrated that duration of diabetes is the main factor determining the fluorescence of collagen in these patients. There was a relationship between CLF and presence of diabetic retinopathy after the data were adjusted for patient age and duration of diabetes (P = 0.023). Increased fluorescence of skin collagen can be detected in young type I diabetic patients and is primarily related to duration of diabetes.
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Original Articles|
May 01 1990
Increased Collagen-Linked Fluorescence in Skin of Young Patients With Type I Diabetes Mellitus
Marek H Dominiczak, PhD;
Marek H Dominiczak, PhD
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Jean Bell, BSc;
Jean Bell, BSc
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Neil H Cox, MRCP;
Neil H Cox, MRCP
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Douglas C McCruden, MRCP;
Douglas C McCruden, MRCP
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Stanley K Jones, MRCP;
Stanley K Jones, MRCP
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Andrew Y Finlay, MRCP;
Andrew Y Finlay, MRCP
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Iain W Percy-Robb, FRCPath;
Iain W Percy-Robb, FRCPath
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Brian M Frier, MD
Brian M Frier, MD
Departments of Pathological Biochemistry, Dermatology, and Diabetes, Western Infirmary/Gartnavel General Hospital
Glasgow, Scotland
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Address correspondence and reprint requests to Dr. M. H. Dominiczak, Consultant Biochemist, Department of Pathological Biochemistry, Western Infirmary, Dumbarton Road, Glasgow G i l 6NT, Scotland, UK.
Diabetes Care 1990;13(5):468–472
Article history
Received:
September 21 1989
Revision Received:
December 19 1989
Accepted:
December 19 1989
PubMed:
2351024
Citation
Marek H Dominiczak, Jean Bell, Neil H Cox, Douglas C McCruden, Stanley K Jones, Andrew Y Finlay, Iain W Percy-Robb, Brian M Frier; Increased Collagen-Linked Fluorescence in Skin of Young Patients With Type I Diabetes Mellitus. Diabetes Care 1 May 1990; 13 (5): 468–472. https://doi.org/10.2337/diacare.13.5.468
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