High plasma prorenin in non diabetic siblings of non insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus patients

In a large cohort (no.=361) of NIDDM probands and their concordant/discorda nt siblings from no.=132 families we studied: 1. the levels of plasma prore nin in non affected siblings of NIDDM probands as opposed to normal subject s without family history of diabetes, and 2. whether plasma prorenin raises in parallel to urinary protein loss in NIDDM patients. Prorenin (solid-pha se trypsin) and micro-macroalbuminuria (radioimmunoassay) were evaluated. P lasma prorenin was higher in NIDDM probands and siblings than in non NIDDM siblings (37+/-31 vs 25+/-15 ng/ml/h, p<0.0005) who, in turn, showed higher plasma prorenin than non diabetic controls without family history of diabe tes (25+/-15 vs 17+/-8 ng/ml/h, p<0.005). Plasma prorenin was higher in NID DM siblings of micro-macroalbuminuric probands than in NIDDM siblings of no n micro-macroalbuminuric probands (40+/-26 vs 29+/-20 ng/ml/h, mean+/-SD, p =0.0058) whereas no difference was found among non diabetic siblings (24+/- 14 vs 22+/-11 ng/ml/h, NS). Our data confirm that plasma prorenin is elevat ed in NIDDM patients, and show: 1. that the raise of plasma prorenin in non -NIDDM siblings of a diabetic patient does not depend entirely from the pre sence of diabetes, and 2. that plasma prorenin in NIDDM probands and their concordant siblings goes along with micro-macroalbuminuria. (J. Endocrinol. Invest. 22: 760-765, 1999) (C)1999, Editrice Kurtis.