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We investigated the relationship between the levels of serum albumin (ALB), serum transthyretin (TTR) or retinol binding protein (RBP) and those of serum cystatin C or clinical gradings in patients with diabetic nephropathy. Serum samples were obtained from 85 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy in our hospital. The levels of serum ALB, TTR, RBP and cystatin C were measured by the Dade Behring assay system using the automated Dade Behring Nephelometer II (BN II). The grades of diabetic nephropathy were classified into five groups according to Report of the Ministry of Health and Welfare, Japan. The serum levels of RBP showed a significant correlation between the serum levels of cystatin C and the grades of diabetic nephropathy. However, the serum levels of TTR were not significantly correlated with those of serum cystatin C or the grades of diabetic nephropathy. In this study, the serum levels of TTR were not influenced by renal function although those of RBP and ALB were influenced by renal function. In spite of clinical usefulness in the nutritional assessment of healthy controls and hemodialysis patients, RBP and ALB are not suitable nutrition marker in patients with chronic renal failure. However, TTR is suitable marker in patients with chronic renal failure.

The relationship between serum levels of beta-trace protein (BTP) or serum creatinine (s-Cr) and the prognostic stages of type 2 diabetic nephropathy was determined. Serum samples from 174 patients with type 2 diabetes were obtained from Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo, and Juntendo Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan. They were classified into four groups according to the Report of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan (1991, p 251-256) as follows: Stage I (normoalbuminuric stage), Stage II (microalbuminuric stage), Stage IIIA (macroalbuminuric stage without renal dysfunction), Stage IIIB (macroalbuminuric stage with renal dysfunction), and Stage IV (renal failure stage). Among these patients, 68 were Stage I, 29 Stage II, 32 Stage IIIA, 17 Stage IIIB, and 28 Stage IV. Levels of serum BTP were measured using the nephelometric assay on a BNA II analyzer (Dade Behring Diagnostics, Marburg, Germany). The mean levels of serum BTP in Stage IIIA were significantly higher than those in Stage I or II (P < 0.00001, P < 0.002, respectively). However, the mean levels of s-Cr in Stage IIIA were not significantly higher than that in Stage I or II. In conclusion, serum BTP was a good marker for the identification of early renal impairment in type 2 diabetes., (Copyright 2004 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

We determined the relationship between levels of serum cystatin C or serum creatinine (s-Cr) and prognostic stages of type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Serum samples from 174 patients with type 2 diabetes were obtained from Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo and Juntendo Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan. They were classified into four groups according to the Report of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan as follows: Stage I (normoalbuminuric stage), Stage II (microalbuminuric stage), Stage IIIA (macroalbuminuric stage without renal dysfunction), Stage IIIB (macroalbuminuric stage with renal dysfunction), and Stage IV (renal failure stage). Among these patients, 68 were Stage I, 29 Stage II, 32 Stage IIIA, 17 Stage IIIB, and 28 Stage IV. The levels of serum cystatin C were measured using the Dade Behring Cystatin C assay with automated Dade Behring Nephelometer II (BNII) (Dade Behring Marburg GmbH, Germany). The mean levels of serum cystatin C in Stage IIIA were significantly higher than those in Stage I or II (P<0.00001, P<0.0005, respectively). The mean levels of serum cystatin C in Stage IIIB and Stage IV were also significantly higher than those in Stage I (P<0.00001). However, the mean levels of serum creatinine (s-Cr) in Stage IIIA were not significantly higher than those in Stage I or II. The levels of s-Cr in Stage IIIB and Stage IV were significantly higher than those in Stage I (P<0.00001). Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) plots demonstrated that the area under the curve (AUC) of cystatin C (0.76) was greater than that of s-Cr (0.66). As an early prognostic marker of type 2 diabetic nephropathy, serum cystatin C was better than s-Cr in terms of sensitivity and specificity. It appears that the levels of serum cystatin C may predict early prognostic stages of patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy., (Copyright 2003 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)

We examined the correlation among the levels of urinary monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and interleukin-8 (IL-8), hyperglycemia, and renal injuries in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy. The levels of urinary MCP-1, IL-8, protein excretion, blood urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (s-Cr), glycohemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), and fasting plasma glucose (FPG) were measured in 24 patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy and 14 healthy adults as controls. Diabetic nephropathy was classified into three stages: stage 1 = normoalbuminuric, stage 2 = microalbuminuric, and stage 3 = macroalbuminuric. All of the patients showed normal ranges in renal function tests. Levels of urinary MCP-1 in all patients with diabetic nephropathy were significantly higher than those in healthy adults (P < 0.05). The levels of urinary MCP-1 in patients with diabetic nephropathy increased gradually according to the clinical stage of this disease. In contrast, the levels of urinary IL-8 in patients with diabetic nephropathy increased in stages 2 and 3. There was a significant correlation between the levels of urinary IL-8 and those of HbA1c. High glucose may stimulate MCP-1 and/or IL-8 production and their excretion into the urine independently of the phases or pathological lesions of this disease. It appears that IL-8 increased in the early stage of diabetic nephropathy, and MCP-1 increased in the advanced stage of this disease. It was concluded that measurement of urinary MCP-1 and IL-8 may be useful for evaluating the degree of renal injuries in patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy., (Copyright 2002 Wiley-Liss, Inc.)