elevated circulating pselectin in insulin dependent diabetes mellitus based on findings that showed increased pselectin expression on platelets and on choroidal microvessels of patients with insulin dependent diabetes mellitus iddm we hypothesized that also plasma concentrations of circulating cpselectin would be increased in these patients the aim of this study was to compare the plasma levels of cpselectin between nonsmoking patients with iddm treated with an intensified insulin therapy and healthy controls the study design was prospective crosssectional and analystblinded subjects were matched individually for sex age and body mass index plasma levels of cpselectin and of von willebrand antigen vwfag were determined by enzyme linked immunoassays fortytwo pairs were available for intergroup comparison median plasma concentrations of cpselectin in patients with iddm 285 ngml interquartile range 233372 were on average 21 higher than those of controls 236 ngml interquartile range 175296 p 0004 also median plasma levels of vwfag were 10 higher in patients 96 udl interquartile range 82127 than controls 87 udl interquartile range 70104 p 0025 there was no correlation between plasma concentrations of cpselectin and vwfag levels in either group p 005 in conclusion our results of increased cpselectin levels are in line with increased pselectin expression on platelets and on choroidal microvessels found in patients with iddm in view of the currently developed small molecule inhibitors of cell adhesion molecules these independent observations together may provide a sound rationale to select pselectin as a target for treating or preventing iddmassociated micro or macrovascular complications