en تخصصي Special پژوهشي Research <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:normal"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span style="font-size:12.0pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times=""><span style="color:black">Objective:</span></span></span></b><b> </b><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Circulating endothelial progenitor cells (EPCs) play an essential role in endothelial repair and neovascularization. Vitamin D deficiency may contribute to EPC depletion and endothelial dysfunction in patients with type 2 diabetes. In addition, iron overload is closely related to the development of diabetes and its various chronic complications. This study was designed to determine the relationship between EPC markers (CD34, CD133), vitamin D, and <w:sdt id="1731960766" sdttag="goog_rdk_20">iron</w:sdt></span></span><i> </i><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">in patients with diabetic nephropathy.</span></span><i><span dir="RTL" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></span></i></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:normal"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Materials and Methods</span></span></b><b><span dir="RTL" lang="FA" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">:</span></span></b> <span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">This case-control study was <w:sdt id="-2078116693" sdttag="goog_rdk_24">conducted</w:sdt></span></span><i> </i><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">on 67 diabetic patients with or without nephropathy. Blood pressure and all biochemical parameters were measured and compared. Serum concentrations of insulin, vitamin D, CD34, and CD133 were measured using ELISA. Serum iron concentration was measured using atomic absorption spectrometry.</span></span><i><span dir="RTL" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></span></i></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:normal"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Results</span></span></b><b><span dir="RTL" lang="FA" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">:</span></span></b> <span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Body mass index <i>(P</i></span></span><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">=<i> </i>0.006), diastolic pressure (<i>P</i>= 0.018), insulin level (<i>P</i>= 0.028), Creatinine (<i>P</i>= 0.013), duration of diabetes, <w:sdt id="-515612939" sdttag="goog_rdk_36">uric</w:sdt></span></span><b><i> </i></b><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">acid, and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) were significantly different between the two groups (each <i>P</i>= 0.0001).The vitamin D (<i>P</i>= 0.034), CD34 (<i>P</i>= 0.0001), and CD133 (<i>P</i>= 0.025) levels decreased, and Iron (<i>P</i>= 0.0001) increased in the case group. Also, CD34 has a significant direct relationship with insulin, insulin resistance, and CD133. The results showed that vitamin D, iron, CD34, and CD133 had a significant relationship with the severity of nephropathy (<i>P</i>= 0.0001, each).</span></span><span lang="EN-GB" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></span></span></span></span></span><br> <span style="font-size:11pt"><span style="text-justify:inter-ideograph"><span style="line-height:normal"><span calibri="" style="font-family:"><b><span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Conclusion</span></span></b><b><span dir="RTL" lang="FA" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">:</span></span></b> <span style="font-size:10.5pt"><span new="" roman="" style="font-family:" times="">Increased iron levels and decreased vitamin D, CD34, and CD133 levels are associated with the severity of nephropathy. This result indicates that diabetic nephropathy may directly reduce CD34 and CD133 levels in the body, increasing the incidence of secondary complications in these patients.</span></span><i><span dir="RTL" lang="FA" style="font-size:10.5pt"><span style="font-family:"Times New Roman","serif""></span></span></i></span></span></span></span><br> &nbsp; Diabetic nephropathy, Vitamin D, CD34 antigen, CD133 antigen, Iron 32 41 http://ijdo.ssu.ac.ir/browse.php?a_code=A-10-30-404&slc_lang=en&sid=1 Vahid Pouresmaeil 0000-0003-1023-1032 Yes 1Department of Biochemistry, Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran. 2Innovative Medical Research Center Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran. Moslem Jasem 0000-0001-9590-945X No Department of Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran. Mostafa Maktoof 0009-0008-8739-612X No Department of Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran. Tayebeh Rabani Nia 0000-0001-9263-0189 No Innovative Medical Research Center Faculty of Medicine, Mashhad Medical Sciences, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran Masoud Homayouni Tabrizi 0000-0002-5078-9973 No Department of Biology, Mashhad Branch, Islamic Azad University, Mashhad, Iran.