Diabetic Foot and Vascular Progenitor Cells

Type of Study: Pilot Study monocenter Study Duration: 18 months Subject Participation Duration: The patients are enrolled for the time of the blood withdrawl. Follow up visit will be after 12 months from the enrollement. Objectives: The project will have two major objectives: A)To validate the prognostic value of vascular progenitor cells, identified by flow cytometric analysis of antigenic phenotype, in a cohort of 109 patients with type-2 diabetes complicated by ischemic foot ulcers. Events are: cardiovascular mortality, major amputation, post-angioplasty restenosis , and development of new atherosclerotic plaques in treated limb B)To determine the mechanisms responsible for vascular progenitor cell dysfunction in the perspective of new therapies for the cure of the diabetic foot.