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.
Eye Clinic, First School of Medicine, Naples, Italy.
F
F
Simonelli
S
S
Savastano
E
E
Rinaldi
G
G
Auricchio
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