Clinical and pathogenetic features of intestinal lesions in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Objective — to study the incidence and clinical and pathogenetic features of intestinal injury in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Materials and methods. Examinations involved 138 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM 2), aged from 39 to 67 years (mean age 53 ± 5 years), including 82 women (59 %) and 56 men (41 %). In addition to general clinical methods, investigations included plasma levels of the transforming growth factor‑b1 (TGF‑b1) and vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), the hydrogen breath test with lactulose, endoscopic examination of the intestine with biopsy followed by staining with hematoxylin‑eosin, immunohistochemical determining of claudin‑1 and VEGF, and conduction of PAS‑reaction. Results. Diabetic enterocolopathy (DECP) was diagnosed in 72 (52.2 %) patients with DM 2. Clinical manifestations were nonspecific and similar to those of irritable bowel syndrome (IBS). It has been found that DECP correlates with the duration of the DM 2 course and was diagnosed more often in middle‑aged patients (52.1 ± 4.1 years). In patients with DECP, the increase in the proinflammatory cytokines TGF‑b1 and VEGF significantly exceeded those in IBS patients. Histologically the inflammatory cell infiltration in patients with DECP was more intense and diverse, there were signs of subatrophy of the glands with a relative decrease in the number of vacuoles in the goblet cells. The immunohistochemical study revealed that VEGF in the colon mucosa was visualized mainly in patients with DECP. Moreover, a tendency to a decrease in the claudin‑1 levels was established in these patients. Conclusions. Intestinal damage was revealed in 67.4 % of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, and DECP was diagnosed in more than half of patients. Diabetic enterocolopathy had nonspecific clinical symptoms, required differential diagnosis with IBS, and was not always accompanied with abdominal pain. The presence of DECP more often correlated with the bacterial overgrowth syndrome, and levels of proinflammatory cytokines in the blood plasma and intestinal mucosa of these patients was raised.