A PILOT-STUDY OF THE EFFECT OF THE GLYCOSAMINOGLYCAN SULODEXIDE ON MICROALBUMINURIA IN TYPE-I DIABETIC-PATIENTS

Fifteen out-patients with type I diabetes mellitus and microalbuminuri a (mean +/-SEM: 95.4 +/- 13.9 mu g/min), were administered the glycosa minoglycan sulodexide, with the aim of investigating its influence on the rate of albumin excretion. Sulodexide was given intramuscularly in a dose of 600 lipoproteinlipase releasing units/day for three weeks. Albumin excretion was measured before dosing, at weekly intervals duri ng dosing and also during the subsequent follow-up period of six weeks . Sulodexide yielded a clear-cut and statistically significant lowerin g of albumin excretion after the first week of treatment (from 95.4 +/ - 13.9 mu g/min to 53.6 +/- 11.1 mu g/min; p = 0.0055); albumin excret ion was further decreased after three weeks of treatment (26.5 +/- 6.0 5 mu g/min; p = 0.0007) and was maintained during the follow-up period , at the end of which the mean value was still significantly lower tha n at baseline (39.6 +/- 10.3 mu g/min; p = 0.01). Sulodexide short-ter m administration did not influence the routine haematological, haemato chemical and coagulative tests performed contemporaneously. Patients' compliance with treatment was very good and no adverse events were rep orted.