title: Serum type IV collagen in diabetic patients at risk for nephropathy.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Whereas increased urinary excretion of type IV collagen, which is believed to reflect renal overproduction of this extracellular matrix protein in early diabetic nephropathy, has been confirmed in several studies, examination of serum concentrations of this analyte has yielded conflicting results. We sought to clarify the relationship between early renal dysfunction in diabetes and circulating type IV collagen concentrations.
  
  
  METHODS
  We measured serum (human) collagen IV concentrations by immunoassay in 109 patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes and various amounts of albuminuria extending from the normo- to the macroalbuminuric range, and we examined its relationship to albumin excretion and to serum creatinine levels.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Serum collagen IV concentrations (mean +/- SEM) were not significantly different in normoalbuminuric (219 +/- 10 ng/ml), microalbuminuric (209 +/- 6 ng/ml), or macroalbuminuric (206 +/- 7 ng/ml) diabetic subjects or in nondiabetic normal volunteers (206 +/- 10 ng/ml). Collagen IV concentrations showed no significant correlation (P > 0.25) with albumin excretion (r = -0.001), HbA(1c) (r = 0.030), or serum creatinine (r = -0.161) and were unrelated to urinary excretion of collagen IV in the subset of subjects in whom these data were available.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The results of this cross-sectional analysis discount the utility of measurement of the serum concentration of collagen IV as an indicator of early renal dysfunction in diabetes. Increased urine excretion of collagen IV without a significant change in the serum concentration is consistent with a renal origin of this analyte in early diabetic nephropathy.
authors.affiliation: Institute for Metabolic Research, University City Science Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania 19104, USA. drmpcohen@aol.com
authors.forename: M P
authors.initials: MP
authors.lastname: Cohen
authors.forename: C W
authors.initials: CW
authors.lastname: Shearman
authors.forename: G T
authors.initials: GT
authors.lastname: Lautenslager
mesh_terms: D000419:Albuminuria; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood; D003094:Collagen / Q000097:blood*; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003920:Diabetes Mellitus / Q000097:blood* / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D003922:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000097:blood / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000652:urine; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007118:Immunoassay; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D020033:Protein Isoforms / Q000097:blood; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers; D020033:Protein Isoforms; D003094:Collagen; D003404:Creatinine