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A Six‐year Follow‐up of the Relationship Between N‐Acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase and Albuminuria in Relation to Retinopathy
Author(s) -
Škrha J.,
Haas T.,
Šperl M.,
Stibor V.,
Štolba P.
Publication year - 1991
Publication title -
diabetic medicine
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.474
H-Index - 145
eISSN - 1464-5491
pISSN - 0742-3071
DOI - 10.1111/j.1464-5491.1991.tb02119.x
Subject(s) - medicine , albuminuria , retinopathy , diabetic retinopathy , creatinine , diabetes mellitus , endocrinology , urinary system , gastroenterology
Fifty patients with Type 1 diabetes mellitus were observed over 6 years. Serum and urinary N ‐acetyl‐β‐glucosaminidase (NAG) activity, and albuminuria were measured in groups of patients subdivided according to ophthalmological findings. Significantly higher mean serum NAG activity was found at the beginning of the study in patients who later developed diabetic retinopathy in comparison with those who did not (geometric mean (2SD range) 19.7 (12.4–31.2) vs 14.4 (9.5–22.7) U l ‐1 p < 0.01). Urinary NAG activity was significantly higher in all groups of diabetic patients than in healthy control subjects ( p < 0.05). A significant increase in albumin: creatinine ratio during the study was found in patients with newly developed diabetic retinopathy compared with patients who did not (at 6 years 1.33 (0.40–4.43) vs 0.75 (0.24–2.31) g mol ‐1 , p < 0.01). No differences in either biochemical variable were found between hypertensive and normotensive diabetic patients at the end of the study. The results suggest that both serum NAG activity and albuminuria may serve as early functional indicators of diabetic retinopathy.