Anticardiolipin antibodies do not mediate macrovascular complications of type 2 diabetes

The relationship of anticardiolipin antibodies (ACA), markers of the antiphospholipid syndrome, with vascular complications of diabetes mellitus is polemic. This cross-sectional study assessed the frequency of IgG, IgM, and IgA ACA in type 2 diabetics with and without history of vascular events for the last 5 years, and in healthy controls. ACA were detected by enzyme immunoassay. A total of 73 type 2 diabetics (33 with history of vascular events) and 54 healthy controls were tested. Most diabetics were female (p = 0.003), and older than controls (p < 0.001). Mean duration of disease was 10 years. The prevalence of a positive ACA test was 7.4% in controls and 9.5% in diabetics (p = 0.910). Comparison of healthy controls and diabetics with and without history of macrovasculopathy, after adjusting for gender and age, showed no significant differences as to the presence of ACA (p > 0.09). ACA positivity rates were also similar when diabetics with and without history of vasculopathy were compared (p > 0.47). After adjusting for gender, age, hypertension, and smoking status, a weak but statistically insignificant association between IgM ACA and diabetics with vasculopathy was found (adjusted OR 2.7; 95% CI 0.2 - 34.2; p = 0.441). Overall, levels of IgG (r = 0.25; p = 0.005) and IgM (r = 0.23; p = 0.010) ACA were associated with increasing age. In short, the frequency of a positive ACA test in type 2 diabetics (with or without previous macrovasculopathy) was not significant as compared to healthy controls. There was no association of ACA with vascular events in patients with type 2 diabetes.