Serum sialic acid in young type-1 diabetic patients.
It is well established that serum total sialic acid (TSA) is elevated in patients with type-2 diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) compared to non-diabetics. However, it is not clear whether serum TSA is also elevated in type-1 diabetic patients (IDDM). Twenty-one type-1 patients were studied along with age and sex matched normal non-diabetic subjects (ten males and 11 females). Their ages were 24.8+/-3.4 years (20-30) and 23.5+/-3.9 years (18-30) respectively. The duration of diabetes mellitus was 12.6+/-6.7 years (1-24) with a HBA1c of 9.0+/-2.2% (6.0-14.9). There was no significant difference in serum TSA of the type-1 diabetic patients 689+/-107 mg/l versus 670+/-119 mg/l in the normal subjects. Nor was there a significant correlation between serum TSA with patient age (r = -0.31), urine albumin/creatinine ratio (ACR) (r = 0.25), HBA1c (r = 0.36), plasma random glucose (r = -0.04) or diabetes duration (r = -0.09) in the diabetic patients. However, there was a significant correlation between serum TSA and mean daily insulin dose (r = 0.51, P<0.02) and also serum cholesterol and triglyceride (r = 0.58, P<0.01 and r = 0.49, P<0.04, respectively) in the type-1 diabetic patients. In summary, we conclude that serum TSA is not elevated in young type-1 diabetic patients compared with normal age and sex matched control subjects. However, the relationship between serum TSA and serum lipids and also mean daily insulin dose merits further research.
Crook
M
M
Department of Chemical Pathology, Guy's and St Thomas' Hospital, London, UK.
Cartwright
K
K
Lumb
P
P
Worsley
A
A
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000419:Albuminuria; D001786:Blood Glucose / Q000032:analysis; D002784:Cholesterol / Q000097:blood; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin / Q000032:analysis; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid / Q000097:blood*; D012016:Reference Values; D014280:Triglycerides / Q000097:blood
D001786:Blood Glucose; D002784:Cholesterol; D003404:Creatinine; D006442:Glycated Hemoglobin; D019158:N-Acetylneuraminic Acid; D014280:Triglycerides