Gihane Khalil
Diabetes mellitus (DM) is a powerful and independent risk factor for cardiovascular disease. The atherosclerosis process in diabetes is indistinguishable from that of the non-diabetic population, but it begins earlier and is often more extensive and more severe. AIF-1 promotes chemotaxis, spreading and migration of macrophages and vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs) which suggest a role of AIF-1 in the atherosclerotic plaque formation. Thus, this study determines the role of AIF-1 in the Egyptian Type 2 Diabetic Patients with Atherosclerosis. The level of AIF-1 was significantly higher in the diabetic atherosclerotic groups when compared to the control group (p=0.000). In diabetic atherosclerotic patients group, there was a significant positive correlation between CIMT and AIF-1 (r=0.468, p= 0.000) , denoting the possible role of elevated serum AIF-1 level in atherosclerotic process. Thus, AIF-1 could be used as a marker of atherosclerosis in diabetic patients.
