OBJECTIVETo examine the urinary level of tissue factor (uTF) and its procoagulant activity (PCA) in patients with diabetes mellitus, and explore the relationship between uTF and renal damage in diabetes mellitus.

METHODSEighty-six patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus were divided into 3 groups according to urine albumin excretion (UACR), namely normal albuminuria group, microalbuminuria group and macroalbuminuria group. The levels of uTF, PCA, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (CRE), serum cystatin C (CYSC), glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP) were measured in all the patients and 21 healthy controls.

RESULTSCompared with normal control, the diabetic patients showed significantly increased levels of uTF and PCA. The urinary TF-PCA was positively correlated to BUN, CYSC, CRE, UACR, fasting glucose and hs-CRP, but not to uTF; only hs-CRP, UACR were positively correlated to uTF.

CONCLUSIONuTF is probably implicated in the development and progression of diabetic nephropathy.