title: Urinary transferrin excretion in type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus.
abstract: Urinary excretion of transferrin and albumin was studied by radioimmunoassay in 47 adult patients with Type 1 diabetes and 28 control subjects. Median (range) urinary transferrin excretion rate was significantly elevated in the diabetic group 0.58 (0.02-2663.3) micrograms min-1 compared with the control group 0.04 (0.01-0.28) micrograms min-1, p less than 0.001. Urinary transferrin:creatinine ratios (x 10(2)) were different in diabetic 47 (0.6-958.0) micrograms mmol-1 and control groups 0.7 (0.06-2.3) micrograms mmol-1, p less than 0.001). There were correlations between urinary transferrin and albumin excretion rates in diabetic (r = 0.78, p less than 0.001) and control groups (r = 0.81, p less than 0.05). Forty (85%) diabetic patients had elevated transferrin excretion rates, 18 (38.3%) had elevated albumin excretion rates. All diabetic patients with elevated albumin excretion rates had elevated transferrin excretion rates. Twenty-one (77.8%) of the patients with normal albumin excretion rates had elevated transferrin excretion rates. Urinary excretion of N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase was greater in diabetic patients than control subjects (142 vs 58 mumol h-1 l-1, p less than 0.001). There were correlation between transferrin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase excretion (r = 0.67, p less than 0.01) and albumin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase excretion (r = 0.63, p less than 0.01) in the diabetic group. Elevated urinary transferrin excretion rate may be a marker for renal dysfunction in diabetes mellitus.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, East Birmingham Hospital, UK.
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: O'Donnell
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Martin
authors.forename: C M
authors.initials: CM
authors.lastname: Florkowski
authors.forename: M J
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Toop
authors.forename: C
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Chapman
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Holder
authors.forename: A H
authors.initials: AH
authors.lastname: Barnett
mesh_terms: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase / Q000652:urine; D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000175:diagnosis; D003930:Diabetic Retinopathy / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D012016:Reference Values; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis; D014168:Transferrin / Q000032:analysis / Q000652:urine*
chemical_list: D000118:Acetylglucosaminidase; D015415:Biomarkers; D001786:Blood Glucose; D003404:Creatinine; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D012709:Serum Albumin; D014168:Transferrin