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.