Glycosaminoglycans in urine of type 1 diabetic patients.

Diabetic nephropathy is accompanied by changes of glomerular and tubular functions manifesting already in the early stages by an increase of glycosaminoglycans excretion into urine. We evaluated urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion in 38 Type 1 diabetic patients with no markers of developed nephropathy. Glycosaminoglycan excretion related to creatinine concentration was significantly higher in diabetic patients with or without retinopathy than in healthy persons (3.9, 1.2-12.7 or 3.7, 0.9-15.9 vs 2.0, 0.8-5.1 micrograms/mumol creatinine, p < 0.01). A positive correlation between glycosaminoglycan excretion and albuminuria was observed in all diabetic patients (r = 0.60, p < 0.01). Urinary glycosaminoglycan excretion did not correlate with serum fructosamine concentration.