Global assessment of the coagulation status in type 2 diabetes mellitus using rotation thromboelastography

Abstract

Clinical and epidemiologic observations have led to the concept of a procoagulant state in type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to determine the coagulation status in type 2 diabetic patients using rotation thromboelastography (ROTEM), which measures the interactive dynamic coagulation process. For this purpose, 51 (30 women, 21 men) type 2 diabetic patients (mean age, 56.1 years) and 40 age-matched, sex-matched and body-mass-index-matched healthy individuals were enrolled. Twenty-seven of the diabetic group had diabetic vascular complications. ROTEM using different activators for the intrinsic and extrinsic systems of coagulation cascade (intrinsic TEM-INTEM, extrinsic TEM-EXTEM, FIBTEM) was used to measure the coagulation time (CT), clot formation time (CFT), alpha angle (α) and maximum clot firmness (MCF). No significant difference was found in the prothrombin time, partial thromboplastin time, thrombin time, fibrinogen and platelet count between the two groups. INTEM-CT and INTEM-CFT and EXTEM-MCF were significantly higher in the diabetic group compared with controls (P = 0.012, P = 0.007 and P = 0.029, respectively). INTEM α in the diabetic group was significantly lower than the controls (P = 0.001). All other parameters, including INTEM-MCF, EXTEM-CT, EXTEM-CFT, EXTEM-α, FIBTEM-CT, FIBTEM-CFT, FIBTEM-MCF and FIBTEM-α, were similar between the two groups. Taking into account these data, we conclude that there is subtle activation of the extrinsic pathway with a concomitant decrement in the intrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade in type 2 diabetes. The exact underlying mechanisms leading to these changes, and their consequences with regard to diabetic complications, remain to be determined.