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OBJECTIVEIncreased oxidative stress and immune dysfunction are implicated in preeclampsia (PE) and may contribute to the two- to fourfold increase in PE prevalence among women with type 1 diabetes. Prospective measures of fat-soluble vitamins in diabetic pregnancy are therefore of interest.RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODSMaternal serum carotenoids (α- and β-carotene, lycopene, and lutein) and vitamins A, D, and E (α- and γ-tocopherols) were measured at first (12.2 ± 1.9 weeks [mean ± SD], visit 1), second (21.6 ± 1.5 weeks, visit 2), and third (31.5 ± 1.7 weeks, visit 3) trimesters of pregnancy in 23 women with type 1 diabetes who subsequently developed PE (DM PE+) and 24 women with type 1 diabetes, matched for age, diabetes duration, HbA1c, and parity, who did not develop PE (DM PE−). Data were analyzed without and with adjustment for baseline differences in BMI, HDL cholesterol, and prandial status.RESULTSIn unadjusted analysis, in DM PE+ versus DM PE−, α-carotene and β-carotene were 45 and 53% lower, respectively, at visit 3 (P < 0.05), before PE onset. In adjusted analyses, the difference in β-carotene at visit 3 remained significant. Most participants were vitamin D deficient (<20 ng/mL), and vitamin D levels were lower in DM PE+ versus DM PE− throughout the pregnancy, although this did not reach statistical significance.CONCLUSIONSIn pregnant women with type 1 diabetes, low serum α- and β-carotene were associated with subsequent development of PE, and vitamin D deficiency may also be implicated.

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Cannabis use is associated with a lower IR risk in HIV-HCV-coinfected patients. The benefits of cannabis-based pharmacotherapies for patients concerned with increased risk of IR and diabetes need to be evaluated in clinical research and practice.

Aim To determine if serum pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) levels in Type 2 diabetes are related to vascular risk factors and renal function. Methods PEDF was quantified by ELISA in a cross-sectional study of 857 male Veterans Affairs Diabetes Trial (VADT) subjects, and associations with cardiovascular risk factors and renal function were determined. In a subset (n=246) in whom serum was obtained early in the VADT (2.0 ± 0.3 years post-randomization), PEDF was related to longitudinal changes in renal function over 3.1 years. Results Cross-sectional study: In multivariate regression models, PEDF was positively associated with serum triglycerides, waist-to-hip ratio, serum creatinine, use of ACE inhibitors or angiotensin receptor blockers, and use of lipid-lowering agents; it was negatively associated with HDL-C (all p<0.05). Longitudinal study PEDF was not associated with changes in renal function over 3.1 yrs (p>0.09) Conclusions Serum PEDF in Type 2 diabetic men was cross-sectionally associated with dyslipidemia, body habitus, use of common drugs for blood pressure and dyslipidemia, and indices of renal function; however, PEDF was not associated with renal decline over 3.1 years.