Electrophoretic analysis of urinary proteins in diabetic adolescents

Pathological changes in the urine sodium dodecyl sulphate gel electrophores is (SDS PAGE) patterns often precede the occurrence of any sign of renal in volvement in diabetes. However, data concerning the most frequent SDS PAGE pattern of the urine in early stages of type I diabetes mellitus are contro versial. In the present study an SDS PAGE technique has been used that prov ides an adequate sensitivity for the detection of the abnormal pattern. Uri nary proteins have been analyzed by SDS PAGE in twenty two diabetic adolesc ents and twenty four age matched controls. Albumin concentration, and N ace tyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase (NAG) activity were also measured in the same sa mples. There was no significant difference in urine albumin concentration a nd NAG activity between diabetic children and controls. However twelve pati ents showed an electrophoretic pattern characteristic for glomerulopathy, t wo had a pattern indicating tubular dysfunction and another two patients ha d a mixed pattern. Among the twenty four controls only three showed abnorma l electrophoretic patterns. The results support the view that early stages of diabetic nephropathy may involve both glomerular and tubular dysfunction . However the exact clinical and prognostic significance of the information provided by SDS PAGE analysis remains to be elucidated. (C) 2001 Wiley-Lis s. Inc.