Glycosylation of glomerular basement membrane in Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic children.

Immunoelectrophoresis of glomerular basement membrane antigens in the urine of 20 Type 1 (insulin-dependent) diabetic and 10 healthy children was performed. In 10 of the diabetic children, there was altered alpha-1-mobility, while the other diabetic and normal children showed alpha-2-mobility. After incubation with glucose, glomerular basement membrane antigens in the urine of healthy children showed alpha-1-mobility. Isolated human kidney glomerular basement membrane split products obtained by proteolytic degradation (papain, trypsin, chymotrypsin) were also investigated by immunoelectrophoresis. A difference was observed in the immunoelectrophoretic pattern of native and glycosylated glomerular basement membrane split products. A distinct increase of thiobarbituric acid assay positive glomerular basement membrane structures after incubation with glucose provides suggestive evidence for the occurrence of non-enzymatic glycosylation of glomerular basement membrane proteins. Glycosylated glomerular basement membrane proteins may contribute to both functional and morphological changes in diabetic glomerulosclerosis.