MICROALBUMINURIA IN YOUNG SUDANESE PATIENTS WITH TYPE-1 DIABETES

Overnight urinary albumin excretion (UAE) was measured in 51 patients, nine to 18 years old, with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellit us and in 22 healthy subjects using radioimmunoassay. Thirteen diabeti c patients (25.5%) had microalbuminuria defined as UAE rate between 20 and 200 mu g/min. Eleven of these patients were over 13 years of age. This gives a frequency of microalbuminuria of 42% (11/26) in the diab etic children and adolescents in the age group 14-18 years. UAE rate w as positively correlated with both age at diagnosis and duration of di abetes. Arterial blood pressure, systolic and diastolic, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA(1C)) and insulin dosage U.kg-(1).day-(1) were signific antly higher (P<0.001) in the diabetic patients with microalbuminuria compared to the diabetic patients with normal UAE rate. Retinal change s were also more common in the microalbuminuric diabetic patients than in the diabetic patients without microalbuminuria (P<0.01). This stud y has revealed a high prevalence of microalbuminuria in young Sudanese patients with type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetes mellitus and emphas ized the importance of routine screening of diabetic children after th e age of 12 years.