title: Evaluation of Early Markers of Nephropathy in Patients with Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus.
abstract: Aims. T2DM often remains undiagnosed for many years because hyperglycemia develops gradually and may not produce any symptoms. As patients with T2DM are at increased risk of microvascular and macrovascular complications, the preclinical diagnosis of the state is the key point of the disease management. Methods. We evaluated parameters such as GAGs/PGs, NAG, and NGAL in urine samples from 43 normoalbuminuric T2DM patients and 31 apparently healthy control subjects. Results. The total urinary GAG excretion showed no significant differences between patients and controls. The electrophoretic analysis evidenced the presence of UTI and its degradation products (LSC and SM-LSC), CS, and HS. We observed modifications of HS and total UTI (including UTI and its degradation products) relative contents in T2DM patients compared with controls whereas no differences in CS percentage were found. NGAL levels were significantly increased in T2DM patients and were positively correlated with both NAG (r = 0.606, p < 0.0001) and the presence of hypertension (r = 0.352, p < 0.05). Conclusions. These data suggest that the assessed molecules could represent useful markers to detect early renal impairment in patients with T2DM.
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pierina
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: De Muro
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Antonio Junior
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Lepedda
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Gabriele
authors.identifier: 0000-0002-9268-9436
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Nieddu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Michela
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Idini
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Hai Quy
authors.initials: HQ
authors.lastname: Tram Nguyen
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Omar
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Lobina
authors.affiliation: Department of Diabetology and Metabolic Disease, AOU-Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Pietro
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Fresu
authors.affiliation: Department of Biomedical Sciences, University of Sassari, 07100 Sassari, Italy.
authors.forename: Marilena
authors.identifier: 0000-0001-9207-5787
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Formato