PLASMA AND URINE SIALIC-ACID IN NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETES-MELLITUS

Urinary excretions of albumin, glycosaminoglycans (GAGS), total sialic acid (TSA), and lipid associated sialic acid (LASA) were measured in 78 non-insulin dependent diabetic patients (NIDDM) and 28 healthy subj ects. TSA excretion was significantly higher in normoalbuminuric and m icroalbuminuric diabetic subjects than the control subjects and TSA ex cretion was correlated with urinary albumin excretion rate (AER). In n ormoalbuminuric diabetics, the duration of diabetes correlated signifi cantly with both sialicaciduria and albuminuria. Although serum TSA le vels were significantly higher in both diabetic groups than the contro l subjects, there was no correlation between serum and urinary TSA lev els.