Microalbuminuria is closely related to diabetic macroangiopathy

To investigate whether urinary excretion of transferrin (uTf) and albumin ( uAlb) is related to diabetic macroangiopathy, we compared the levels of uTf and uAlb between ischemic heart disease (IHD) group and non-IHD group in p atients with nun-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. The patients (n = 102 ) without macroproteinuria were enrolled in the present study. Firstly, we divided the subjects into the two groups, IHD group (n = 16) and non-IHD gr oup (n = 86), according to findings of ischemic changes on electrocardiogra m. The levels of uTf and uAlb in IHD group were 3.9 +/- 0.9 and 40.6 +/- 9. 7 (mean +/- S.E.M.) mg/g Creatinine, respectively. These values were signif icantly (P < 0.01) higher than those of non-II-ID group (1.8 +/- 0.2 for uT f and 19.6 +/- 1.8 for uAlb), There was no significance in the levels of Hb A(1c), blood pressure, plasma lipids, and diabetic duration between the two groups. Secondly, we divided the subjects by the levels of uTf and uAlb. T he frequency of IHD in the group (n = 22, 36.4%) with microalbuminuria and microtransferrinuria was significantly (P < 0.03) higher than those (n = 38 , 10.5%) with normoalbuninuria and microtransferrinuria, and also significa ntly (P < 0.02) higher than those (n = 42, 9.5%) with normoalbuminuria and normotransferrinuria. We concluded that the measurement of uAlb is importan t when approaching diabetic macroangiopathy. (C) 1999 Elsevier Science Irel and Ltd. All rights reserved.