Urinary type IV collagen levels in diabetes mellitus.
Type IV collagen is the principal component of glomerular basement membrane and messangial matrix. Studies have shown increased levels of urinary type IV collagen (uIV) in diabetic patients compared to healthy controls. The concentration of uIV increases gradually as diabetic nephropathy progresses.


OBJECTIVE
This study was carried out to determine whether urinary type IV collagen (uIV) can serve as an indicator of diabetic nephropathy. Using a sandwich enzyme immunoassay technique, uIV excretion was determined in 30 type 2 diabetic patients with normoalbuminuria and 20 patients with microalbuminuria.


RESULTS
uIV excretion was significantly increased in type 2 diabetics, in both normoalbuminuric and microalbuminuric patients, compared with healthy controls. The increase in urinary type IV collagen was well correlated with the amount of urinary albumin but not with HbA1C.


CONCLUSIONS
Our findings that uIV is higher in those with microalbuminuria and correlates with albuminuria, support uIV as an indicator of diabetic nephropathy. Whether the increased uIV excretion would predict the impending renal failure needs further confirmation.
Sthaneshwar
Pavai
P
Departments of Pathology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Malaya, Malaysia. pavai@um.edu.my
Chan
Siew-Pheng
SP
D000328:Adult; D000419:Albuminuria / Q000652:urine; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000652:urine*; D024141:Collagen Type IV / Q000652:urine*; D003924:Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 / Q000652:urine*; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000652:urine*; D004797:Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
D015415:Biomarkers; D024141:Collagen Type IV