PROTEINURIA AND ENZYMURIA IN NON-INSULIN-DEPENDENT DIABETICS

Urine albumin, alpha1- and beta2-microglobulins, retinol-binding prote in (RBP) and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) were measured in ea rly morning urine samples from 99 non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDD M) patients receiving ambulatory care at a primary health care polycli nic. Elevated NAG levels were found in 90% of diabetics regardless of the duration of their disease. Almost half (43.4%) of the subjects had microalbuminuria. Over a third of the subjects without albuminuria ha d elevated alpha1-microglobulin levels in their urine. The proportion of subjects with elevated alpha1 levels increased significantly with t he presence of albumin, poor glycaemic control and increased duration of disease. These findings suggest that proximal tubular as well glome rular dysfunction coexist in the NIDDM patients studied.