Evidence of oxidant injury and tubular damage in early diabetic nephropathy.

Two groups of patients with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus of > 10 years duration and either persistent normoalbuminuria (group 1, n = 49; albumin excretion < 30 mg/day) or microalbuminuria (group 2, n = 33; albumin excretion 30-300 mg/day) were investigated for evidence of free oxygen radical activity (erythrocytic superoxide dismutase and glutathione peroxidase) and oxidant injury (serum malondialdehyde). Glomerular proteinuria (albuminuria, transferrinuria), tubular proteinuria (retinol-binding protein) and tubular enzymuria (N-acetyl-glucosaminidase and leucine aminopeptidase) were also measured. Healthy controls (n = 38) were matched for age and sex. Groups 1 and 2 were similar in terms of age, sex, duration of diabetes and recent glycaemic control. Serum cholesterol and creatinine were similar in all three groups. Free-radical activity and oxidant injury were significantly higher in groups 1 and 2 than in controls (p < 0.001). Glomerular proteinuria, tubular proteinuria and enzymuria were significantly higher in group 2 than in group 1 and controls (p < 0.01). Group 1 had significantly higher transferrinuria, tubular enzymuria and tubular proteinuria than controls. However, groups 1 and 2 were similar in degree of free oxygen radical generation and oxidant injury. In diabetic nephropathy, oxidant injury and renal tubular damage accompany and may even precede microalbuminuria. The presence of these abnormalities in the absence of glomerular proteinuria favours the hypothesis that alterations first occur in the peritubular microcirculation, which by causing oxidant injury and tubular damage, may initiate diabetic nephropathy.