Albumin Characteristics in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus

Albumin is one of the most generously represented proteins in the human blood plasma. Therefore it is important to follow and assesss transportation function of albumin in clinic researches. Disturbances in structural/functional properties of albumin play an important role in the pathogenesis of various diseases (e.g. diabetes mellitus). Changes in albumin transformation can serve as a diagnostic and prognostic criterion in pathologies. ABM (3-aminobenzanthrone derivative developed at Daugavpils University, (Latvia) has been previously shown as a potential biomarker for determination of the immune state of patients with different pathologies. The aim of this study was to determine and compare several aspects of plasma albumin alterations in patients with diabetes mellitus and healthy donors. The following parameters were examined: 1) the spectral characteristics of ABM in blood plasma; 2) “effective” (EA) albumin concentration in blood plasma; 3) quantitative parameters of albumin auto- fluorescence, characterizing tryptophanyl region of molecule and AGE (advanced glycation end products). Qualitatively different albumin modifications were obtained in diabetics and healthy humans. The different modifications of albumin are associated with different binding sites for probe, differing in affinity, quantum yield, and degrees of polarization. In diabetics the the albumin autofluorescence spectra has two emission maxima: 1) 332-333nm corresponding to the data observed in healthy persons (intrinsic fluorescence) and 2) shifted to a long wave region by 10-20 nm (340-350 nm), that corresponds to advanced glycation end products. Rigidity (dehydration) of the tryptophanyl regionis more expressed in diabetics as compared to control group. Diabetes-induced complications may be mediated by different pathways in men and women. ABM is a sensitive probe of albumin alterations, and can be used to elucidate the changes in protein systems. Significant differences in albumin dynamics exist between diabetics and control group.