Cataract formation in diabetic patients and galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase deficiency.
We have evaluated the levels of red blood cell galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase in 20 patients with cataract and in 15 subjects without cataract, suffering from compensated, noninsulin-dependent, type II diabetes. The diabetic patients were compared with a previously examined group of 65 age-matched nondiabetic subjects (25 of whom suffered from bilateral idiopathic cataract). In diabetic patients, the average galactose-1-phosphate uridyltransferase levels tended to be lower and the percentage of cases of reduced enzymatic activity tended to be higher than in the corresponding nondiabetic subjects.
Simonelli
F
F
Eye Clinic, First School of Medicine, Naples, Italy.
Savastano
S
S
Rinaldi
E
E
Auricchio
G
G
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D002386:Cataract / Q000209:etiology* / Q000473:pathology; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications* / Q000201:enzymology / Q000628:therapy; D004326:Drinking; D004912:Erythrocytes / Q000201:enzymology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D008892:Milk; D010084:Oxidation-Reduction