Normal Albumin Excretion Rate Research Articles

Medication profiling in women with type 1 diabetes highlights the importance of adequate, guideline-based treatment in low-risk groups

Effective treatment may prevent kidney complications, but women might be underprescribed. Novel, data-driven insights into prescriptions and their relationship with kidney health in women with type 1 diabetes may help to optimize treatment. We identified six medication profiles in 1164 women from the FinnDiane Study with normal albumin excretion rate based on clusters of their baseline prescription data using a self-organizing map. Future rapid kidney function decline was defined as an annual estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) loss > 3 ml/min/1.73 m2 after baseline. Two profiles were associated with future decline: Profile ARB with the highest proportion of angiotensin receptor blockers (odds ratio [OR] 2.75, P = 0.02) and highly medicated women in profile HighMed (OR 2.55, P = 0.03). Compared with profile LowMed (low purchases of all), profile HighMed had worse clinical characteristics, whereas in profile ARB only systolic blood pressure was elevated. Importantly, the younger women in profile ARB with fewer kidney protective treatments developed a rapid decline despite otherwise similar baseline characteristics to profile ACE & Lipids (the highest proportions of ACE inhibitors and lipid-modifying agents) without a future rapid decline. In conclusion, medication profiles identified different future eGFR trajectories in women with type 1 diabetes revealing potential treatment gaps for younger women.

The impact of diabetic nephropathy and severe diabetic retinopathy on chronic limb threatening ischemia risk in individuals with type 1 diabetes: a nationwide, population study.

The prevalence, incidence and risk factors and especially the effect of diabetic nephropathy (DN) and diabetic retinopathy on the risk of chronic limb threatening ischemia (CLTI) have been sparsely studied in individuals with type 1 diabetes (T1D). The prospective cohort study consisted of 4697 individuals with T1D from the nationwide Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy (FinnDiane) Study. Medical records were thoroughly reviewed in order to ascertain all CLTI events. The key risk factors were DN and severe diabetic retinopathy (SDR). There were 319 events of confirmed CLTI, 102 prevalent events at baseline and 217 incident events during the follow-up of 11.9 (IQR 9.3-13.8) years. The 12-year cumulative incidence of CLTI was 4.6% (95% CI 4.0-5.3). Risk factors included presence of DN, SDR, age, duration of diabetes, HbA1c, systolic blood pressure, triglycerides and current smoking. Sub-hazard ratios (SHRs) according to combinations of DN status and presence (+) or absence (-) of SDR were 4.8 (2.0-11.7) for normoalbuminuria/SDR+, 3.2 (1.1-9.4) for microalbuminuria/SDR-, 11.9 (5.4-26.5) for microalbuminuria/SDR+, 8.7 (3.2-23.2) for macroalbuminuria/SDR-, 15.6 (7.4-33.0) for macroalbuminuria/SDR+ and 37.9 (17.2-78.9) for kidney failure compared with individuals with normal albumin excretion rate and without SDR. Diabetic nephropathy, especially kidney failure, is associated with high risk of limb threatening ischemia in individuals with T1D. The risk of CLTI increases gradually according to the severity of diabeticnephropathy. Also, diabetic retinopathy is independently and additively associated with high risk of CLTI. This research was funded by grants from Folkhälsan Research Foundation, Academy of Finland (316664), Wilhelm and Else Stockmann Foundation, Liv och Hälsa Society, Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNFOC0013659), Finnish Foundation for Cardiovascular Research, Finnish Diabetes Research Foundation, Medical Society of Finland, Sigrid Jusélius Foundation and Helsinki University Hospital Research Funds.

The relationship between FGF23 and body composition according to albuminuria stage in type 1 diabetes

AimsFibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) and obesity are linked to kidney disease. However, the relationship between FGF23 and body composition is unclear. Associations between FGF23 and body composition were investigated in type 1 diabetes from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study according to albuminuria stages. MethodsData were available from 306 adults with type 1 diabetes (229 normal albumin excretion rate, T1Dnormo; 38 microalbuminuria, T1Dmicro; 39 macroalbuminuria, T1Dmacro), and 36 controls. Serum FGF23 was measured by ELISA. Body composition was assessed with dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry. Associations between body composition and serum FGF23 were investigated using linear regression models. ResultsCompared with T1Dnormo, individuals with more advanced kidney disease were older, had longer diabetes duration, higher serum hsCRP, and higher FGF23 concentration. However, FGF23 concentration was comparable between T1Dnormo and controls. Adjusted for potential confounders, in T1Dmicro, FGF23 was positively associated with the percentages of total fat, visceral fat, and android fat tissues, while negative associations between FGF23 and lean tissue were observed. FGF23 was not associated with body composition in T1Dnormo, T1Dmacro, and controls. ConclusionsIn type 1 diabetes, the relationship between FGF23 and body composition is dependent on albuminuria stages.

Triglycerides and Renal Outcomes According to Albuminuria and in Consideration of Other Metabolic Syndrome Components in Diabetic US Veterans

Introduction: Hypertriglyceridemia, a component of the metabolic syndrome, is a known independent predictor of albuminuria and chronic kidney disease (CKD) in the general population. Previous studies have shown that the relationship of triglycerides (TGs) with outcomes changes across stages of CKD. Our objective was to examine the association of TG independent of other metabolic syndrome components with renal outcomes in diabetic patients with or without CKD. Methods: This retrospective cohort study included diabetic US veteran patients with valid data on TGs, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and albuminuria (urinary albumin/creatinine ratio) between fiscal years 2004 and 2006. Using Cox models adjusted for clinical characteristics and laboratory markers, we evaluated the relationship of TG with incident albuminuria (stratified by eGFR category) and based on eGFR (stratified by baseline albuminuria categories). To evaluate the relationship of TG with time to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), we stratified models by baseline CKD stage (eGFR category) and baseline albuminuria stage ascertained at time of TG measurement. Results: In a cohort of 138,675 diabetic veterans, the mean ± SD age was 65 ± 11 years old and included 3% females and 14% African Americans. The cohort also included 28% of patients with non-dialysis-dependent CKD (eGFR <60 mL/min/1.73 m²), as well as 28% of patients with albuminuria (≥30 mg/g). The median (IQR) of serum TG was 148 (100, 222) mg/dL. We observed a slight positive linear association between TG and incident CKD after adjustment for Case-Mix and Laboratory variables among non-albuminuric and microalbuminuric patients. The relationship of high TG trended towards a higher risk of ESRD in CKD 3A non-albuminuric patients and in CKD 3A and 4/5 patients with microalbuminuria. Conclusion: In a large cohort, we have shown that elevated TGs are associated with all kidney outcomes tested independently of other metabolic syndrome components in diabetic patients with normal eGFR and normal albumin excretion rate, but the association is weaker in some groups of diabetic patients with preexisting renal complications.

Histological Manifestations of Diabetic Kidney Disease and its Relationship with Insulin Resistance.

Histological manifestations of diabetic kidney disease (DKD) include mesangiolysis, mesangial matrix expansion, mesangial cell proliferation, thickening of the glomerular basement membrane, podocyte loss and foot process effacement, hyalinosis of the glomerular arterioles, interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. Glomerulomegaly is a typical finding. Histological features of DKD may occur in the absence of clinical manifestations, having been documented in patients with normal urinary albumin excretion and normal glomerular filtration rate. Furthermore, the histological picture progresses over time while clinical data may remain normal. Conversely, histological lesions of DKD improve with metabolic normalization, following effective pancreas transplantation. Insulin resistance has been associated with the clinical manifestations of DKD (nephromegaly, glomerular hyperfiltration, albuminuria, and kidney failure). Likewise, insulin resistance may underlie the histological manifestations of DKD. Morphological changes of DKD are absent in newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes patients (with no insulin resistance), but appear afterwards when insulin resistance develops. In contrast, structural lesions of DKD are typically present before the clinical diagnosis of type 2 diabetes. Several heterogeneous conditions that share the occurrence of insulin resistance, such as aging, obesity, acromegaly, lipodystrophy, cystic fibrosis, insulin receptor dysfunction, and Alström syndrome, also share both clinical and structural manifestations of kidney disease, including glomerulomegaly and other features of DKD, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, and C3 glomerulopathy, which might be ascribed to reduction in the synthesis of factor H binding sites (such as heparan sulfate) that leads to uncontrolled complement activation. Alström syndrome patients show systemic interstitial fibrosis markedly similar to that present in diabetes.

Podocyturia: an earlier biomarker of cardiovascular outcomes

Urinary podocin and nephrin mRNAs (podocyturia), as candidate biomarkers of endothelial/podocyte injury, were measured by quantitative PCR in Type II diabetics with normal albumin excretion rates (AER) at baseline, at 3–4 years, and at 7 years. Development of cardiovascular disease (CVD) was collected as outcome. Visit 1 podocyturia was significantly higher in subjects who subsequently developed CVD versus those who did not. Visit 1 AER terciles exhibited similar time to CVD, in contrast with stepwise and substantial increases in CVD events predicted by Visit 1 podocyturia terciles. Covariate-adjusted hazard ratios were highest for podocin, intermediate for nephrin mRNAs, and lowest for AER. Podocyturia was also measured in patients with and without significant coronary obstruction, and in 480 normoalbuminuric subjects at the enrolment visit to the Multi-Ethnic Study of Atherosclerosis (MESA). Podocyturia > 3 × 106 copies was associated with presence of obstructive coronary artery disease. In the MESA population, Visit 1 podocyturia was significantly higher in men, subjects with elevated BMI, and those with Type II DM. Conclusions: Podocyturia may be an earlier predictor of cardiovascular events than moderate albuminuria; it is significantly higher in patients with obstructive coronary artery disease, and in subjects with established risk factors for CVD.

Diabetes and kidney dysfunction markedly alter the content of sphingolipids carried by circulating lipoproteins

We have previously shown that very long ceramides/lactosylceramides predicted the development of macroalbuminuria (MA) in type 1 diabetes and expanded our studies into type 2 diabetes. This study proposes comparing the levels of plasma sphingolipids and their distribution in circulating lipoproteins (VLDL/IDL, LDL, HDL2 and HDL3) between a healthy control group and two groups of subjects with type 2 diabetes, one with and other without MA. Plasma and lipoprotein sphingolipids/glycosphingolipids were measured using HPLC-MS/MS in 114 subjects (40 controls; 74 type 2 diabetes, 40 without MA; and 34 with MA) and the levels were compared between controls and the two groups of diabetes. Group effect sizes were calculated using Cohen's d. Sphingomyelin species carried by LDL are significantly higher in diabetic patients with MA than in those with normal albumin excretion rate (AER). Compared to controls, significant decreases in the levels of sphingolipids carried by HDL in patients with diabetes with normal AER or MA were observed for all sphingolipid classes except for hexosylceramide, which was normal in diabetic patients without MA. Although lower than in controls, the levels of lactosylceramides carried by HDL2/HDL3 were significantly higher in diabetes with MA. Considering the critical role sphingolipids play in major cell biological responses and cell signaling pathways, the consequences for disease development of changes in the distribution of sphingolipids/glycosphingolipids carried by lipoproteins could be considerable. Our work is just a first step to address a considerable gap in our present knowledge in this important field.

Depression Is Associated With Progression of Diabetic Nephropathy in Type 1 Diabetes

To investigate the relationship between depression and diabetic nephropathy progression in type 1 diabetes. Data from 3,730 participants without end-stage renal disease (ESRD) at baseline, participating in the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study, were included. Depression was assessed in three ways. Depression diagnoses were obtained from the Finnish Care Register for Health Care. Antidepressant agent purchase data were obtained from the Drug Prescription Register. Symptoms of depression were assessed using the Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Based on their urinary albumin excretion rate (AER), participants were classified as those with normal AER, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria. Progression from normal AER to microalbuminuria, macroalbuminuria, or ESRD; from microalbuminuria to macroalbuminuria or ESRD; or from macroalbuminuria to ESRD, during the follow-up period, was investigated. Over a mean follow-up period of 9.6 years, renal status deteriorated in 18.4% of the participants. Diagnosed depression and antidepressant purchases before baseline were associated with 53% and 32% increased risk of diabetic nephropathy progression, respectively. Diagnosed depression assessed during follow-up remained associated with increased risk of disease progression (32%). BDI-derived symptoms of depression showed no association with the progression, but the total number of antidepressant purchases modestly reduced the risk (hazard ratio 0.989 [95% CI 0.982-0.997]), P = 0.008). With the sample divided based on median age, the observations followed those seen in the whole group. However, symptoms of depression additionally predicted progression in those age ≤36.5 years. Diagnosed depression and antidepressant purchases are associated with the progression of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetes. Whether successful treatment of depression reduces the risk needs to be determined.

Transcriptomics Reveal Altered Metabolic and Signaling Pathways in Podocytes Exposed to C16 Ceramide-Enriched Lipoproteins.

Sphingolipids are bioactive lipids associated with cellular membranes and plasma lipoproteins, and their synthesis and degradation are tightly regulated. We have previously determined that low plasma concentrations of certain ceramide species predict the development of nephropathy in diabetes patients with normal albumin excretion rates at baseline. Herein, we tested the hypothesis that altering the sphingolipid content of circulating lipoproteins can alter the metabolic and signaling pathways in podocytes, whose dysfunction leads to an impairment of glomerular filtration. Cultured human podocytes were treated with lipoproteins from healthy subjects enriched in vitro with C16 ceramide, or D-erythro 2-hydroxy C16 ceramide, a ceramide naturally found in skin. The RNA-Seq data demonstrated differential expression of genes regulating sphingolipid metabolism, sphingolipid signaling, and mTOR signaling pathways. A multiplex analysis of mTOR signaling pathway intermediates showed that the majority (eight) of the pathway phosphorylated proteins measured (eleven) were significantly downregulated in response to C16 ceramide-enriched HDL2 compared to HDL2 alone and hydroxy ceramide-enriched HDL2. In contrast, C16 ceramide-enriched HDL3 upregulated the phosphorylation of four intermediates in the mTOR pathway. These findings highlight a possible role for lipoprotein-associated sphingolipids in regulating metabolic and signaling pathways in podocytes and could lead to novel therapeutic targets in glomerular kidney diseases.

The Long-Term Incidence of Hospitalization for Ketoacidosis in Adults with Established T1D-A Prospective Cohort Study.

The long-term natural history of diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) and its risk factors are poorly understood. To determine the long-term incidence and predictors of DKA in adults with longstanding type 1 diabetes (T1D). All hospitalizations and deaths due to DKA between 1996 and 2016 were identified in 4758 adults with T1D from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane), and a cohort of 16 224 adults with T1D from the Finnish general population. Between 1996 and 2015, there were 1228 DKA events in the FinnDiane participants (1.4/100 person-years) and 4914 DKA events (1.8/100 person-years) in adults with T1D from the general population. The majority were hospitalized only once. There was a modest increase in the frequency of DKA in the FinnDiane over the follow-up (~2.4%/year [95% CI, 0.3-4.5%]; P = 0.03). Predictors of DKA were glucose control, CSII, smoking and alcohol consumption, and raised high-density lipoprotein cholesterol and triacylglycerides. Diabetic nephropathy and renal impairment were associated with DKA; patients with end-stage renal disease, macroalbuminuria, and microalbuminuria had 2.09-fol (95% CI, 1.40-3.12), 1.65-fold (95% CI, 1.23-2.19), and 0.87-fold (95% CI, 0.61-1.24) risk of DKA compared with patients with normal albumin excretion rate, respectively. Patients with an estimated glomerular filtration rate <60 mL/min/1.73 m2 were also more likely to be hospitalized for DKA (HR 1.71 [95% CI, 1.26-2.67]). DKA remains a common cause of hospitalization in individuals with longstanding T1D. These data suggest that the goal to use SGLT2 inhibitors for their vasculo- and renoprotective actions may be problematic, as those most likely to benefit may also have the highest risk for DKA.

509-P: Utility of Serum Cystatin C in Early Kidney Dysfunction in Prediabetics

Background: Serum cystatin C (sCys C) has been proposed as a marker of kidney function with advantages compared to creatinine. It is unclear whether renal damage begin in prediabetes (PDM), when sCys C could be a promisor marker of early kidney dysfunction. We investigated whether sCys C differed between normoglycemic (NG) and PDM subjects and contributed to the detection of kidney dysfunction. Methods: A cross-sectional analysis of 947 nondiabetic participants (mean age 45.7 years) from the Brazilian Longitudinal Study of Adult Health was performed. sCys C (determined by ELISA) and CKD-EPI eGFR were compared between NG and PDM (fasting plasma glucose: 100-125 mg/dL or 2-hour post-load: 140-199 mg/dL or A1c: 5.7-6.4%). PDM were stratified in 4 groups according to altered sCys C and albumin excretion rate (AER): normal sCys C and AER (G1), abnormal sCys C and normal AER (G2), normal sCys C and abnormal AER (G3) and abnormal sCys C and AER (G4) were compared using ANOVA. Results: PDM subjects (n = 671) had anthropometric and biochemical data higher than NG (n=276), higher sCys C levels [0.67 (0.41-0.95) vs. 0.48 (0.31-0.81), p&amp;lt;0.001] and lower eGFR (96.3±17.4 vs. 100.6±17.1 mL/min/1.73m2, p&amp;lt;0.001). In eGFR categories (60-&amp;lt;90, 90-&amp;lt;125 and ≥125 mL/min/1.73m2), sCys C were always higher in PDM subjects than in NG. Comparing NG individuals, hyperfiltrants had lower sCys C than normofiltrants (p=0.03) but not than mildly reduced eGFR individuals (p=0.12). Considering the PDM groups, eGFR gradually dropped from G1 to G4 (96.8±17.4 vs. 96.2±16.9 vs. 94.0±17.2 vs. 77.2±25.4 mL/min/1.73m2, p-trend = 0.06) and, as expected, mean eGFR in G4 was lower than in G1 (p=0.017). Conclusion: Our data confirmed that sCys C is increased in PDM. Reduced sCys C only in NG hyperfiltrant subjects could suggest an inability of hyperfiltrant PDM to excrete Cys C. No statistical evidence that sCys C could be an early marker of kidney dysfunction in prediabetes was found; prospective studies should address its utility to detect dysfunction before AER elevation. Disclosure J.I.F. Branda: None. B. Almeida: None. S.R.G. Vivolo: None.

Body Mass Index and Mortality in Individuals With Type 1 Diabetes.

The relationship between body mass index (BMI) and mortality may differ between patients with type 1 diabetes and the general population; it is not known which clinical characteristics modify the relationship. Our aim was to assess the relationship between BMI and mortality and the interaction with clinically meaningful factors. This prospective study included 5836 individuals with type 1 diabetes from the FinnDiane study. We retrieved death data for all participants on 31 December 2015. We estimated the effect of BMI on the risk of mortality using a Cox proportional hazards model with BMI as a restricted cubic spline as well as effect modification by adding interaction terms to the spline. During a median of 13.7 years, 876 individuals died. The relationship between baseline BMI and all-cause mortality was reverse J-shaped. When analyses were restricted to those with normal albumin excretion rate, the relationship was U-shaped. The nadir BMI (BMI with the lowest mortality) was in the normal weight region (24.3 to 24.8 kg/m2); however, among individuals with diabetic nephropathy, the nadir BMI was in the overweight region (25.9 to 26.1 kg/m2). Diabetic nephropathy, diabetes-onset age, and sex modified the relationship between BMI and mortality (Pinteraction < 0.05). Normal weight is optimal for individuals with type 1 diabetes to delay mortality, whereas underweight might be an indication of underlying complications. Maintaining normal weight may translate into reduced risk of mortality in type 1 diabetes, particularly for individuals of male sex, later diabetes-onset age, and normal albumin excretion rate.

Impact of type 1 diabetes on maternal long-term risk of hospitalisation and mortality: a nationwide combined clinical and register-based cohort study (The EPICOM study).

The aims of this study were to examine long-term mortality and morbidity rates in mothers with type 1 diabetes, both overall and according to the level of albuminuria prior to pregnancy, the presence of hypertension, pre-eclampsia and periconceptional HbA1c. This study was a part of the EPICOM (Environmental Versus Genetic and Epigenetic Influences on Growth, Metabolism and Cognitive Function in Offspring of Mothers with Type 1 Diabetes) study, which is a prospective follow-up study focusing on pregnancies complicated by maternal type 1 diabetes. We carried out a nationwide combined clinical and register-based cohort study of mortality rates and hospital admissions in mothers with diabetes (n = 986) who gave birth between 1992 and 2000. Control mothers (n = 91,441) were women from the background population, matched according to age and year of childbirth. Age at follow-up was 32-66years. Mortality rate was increased threefold in mothers with diabetes compared with control mothers (HR 3.41 [95% CI 2.42, 4.81]; p < 0.0001), and was also increased with pre-gestational kidney dysfunction (normoalbuminuria, HR 2.17 [95% CI 1.28, 3.68]; microalbuminuria, HR 3.36 [95% CI 0.82, 13.8]; macroalbuminuria, HR 12.9 [95% CI 5.45, 30.7]). Moreover, the presence of hypertension prior to or at any time during pregnancy and of pre-eclampsia also increased mortality rate (hypertension, HR 4.34 [95% CI 2.13, 8.84]; pre-eclampsia, HR 5.55 [95% CI 2.71, 11.4]). Mortality rate also increased with higher levels of HbA1c in early pregnancy (HbA1c ≤75mmol/mol [≤9%], HR 2.15 [95% CI 1.31, 3.53]; HbA1c >75mmol/mol [>9%], HR 6.10 [95% CI 2.67, 14.0]). However, in mothers with diabetes and HbA1c <64mmol/mol (<8%) in the first trimester and normal pre-gestational urinary albumin excretion rate (n = 517), mortality rate was comparable with that of control mothers. Among mothers with diabetes, mortality rate was associated with HbA1c level: per 11mmol/mol (1 percentage point) increase in HbA1c, HR was 1.52 (95% CI 1.19, 1.94; p = 0.001). In mothers with diabetes, the overall incidence of hospital admissions was more than double (incidence rate ratio [IRR] 2.69 [95% CI 2.59, 2.80]; p < 0.0001) that of control mothers, as were admissions with various diagnoses from 14 out of 19 ICD-10 chapters. Among mothers with diabetes, the IRR for hospital admissions increased with the level of HbA1c: per 11mmol/mol (1 percentage point) increase in HbA1c, HR was 1.07 (95% CI 1.04, 1.10; p < 0.0001). Overall, mothers with type 1 diabetes have a two- to threefold increase in mortality and morbidity rates. HbA1c levels, level of albuminuria around the time of conception, and the presence of hypertension and pre-eclampsia are important risk factors for mortality/morbidity in this cohort. However, it is reassuring that mothers with type 1 diabetes without kidney complications and with HbA1c <64mmol/mol (<8%) in early pregnancy have a similar survival potential during the period where they are raising their children to that of control mothers from the background population.

The Role of Osteopontin in the Pathogenesis and Complications of Type 1 Diabetes Mellitus in Children.

Objective:Type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) is the most common chronic metabolic disorder of childhood and adolescence. Osteopontin plays a significant role in the development and progression of several autoimmune diseases. Moreover, osteopontin promotes adipose tissue inflammation, dysfunction, and insulin resistance. To investigate the levels of serum osteopontin in pediatric patients with T1DM and to explore if these levels have a role in the prediction of diabetes complications.Methods:This was a case–control study conducted at the Endocrinology unit of the Children’s Hospital of Zagazig University in Egypt, from October 2014 to December 2015. Sixty patients with T1DM and 60 healthy subjects were enrolled. A detailed medical history was taken from all patients/parents. A full clinical examination including ophthalmoscopy was performed on all patients. Fasting blood glucose, hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c), urine albumin/creatinine ratio, and serum osteopontin levels were also determined in all subjects.Results:Patients with T1DM had significantly higher serum osteopontin levels compared with controls (mean ± standard deviation: 13.7±3.4 μg/L vs. 8.9±2.9 μg/L, p<0.001). Also, serum osteopontin concentrations were higher in patients with microalbuminuria than in patients with normal albumin excretion rate and in the control group. Similarly, those who had retinal disease had higher osteopontin concentrations than those without (16.8±2 vs. 12.4±3 mg/L; p=0.005). Serum osteopontin levels correlated with a diagnosis of T1DM, and in diabetic patients, correlated with higher systolic and diastolic blood pressure, body mass index values and with lower high density lipoprotein values, diagnosis of retinopathy, and microalbuminuria. No correlation was found between osteopontin levels and HbA1c, insulin dose, co-medications, and diabetes duration in T1DM patients. The association between high osteopontin levels and T1DM was independent from all confounders.Conclusion:This study shows that increased osteopontin levels are independently associated with T1DM in pediatric patients and supports the hypothesis that osteopontin may have a role in the prediction of microvascular diabetes complications.

HLA-DRB1*03 as a risk factor for microalbuminuria in same duration of type 1 diabetes: a case control study.

BackgroundIncreased urinary albumin excretion rate is the earliest clinical manifestation of diabetic nephropathy. The development of microalbuminuria in patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1D) usually begins 5 to 15 years after the onset of diabetes. The rate of progression of diabetic nephropathy varies considerably among patients and not always can be explained solely by glycaemic control. The evidence suggests that genetic susceptibility may play a role in the development of diabetes microvascular complications, besides the presence of such risk factors as hyperglycaemia, hypertension, dyslipidaemia and smoking. The aim of the study was to evaluate a link between known genetic risk factors for type 1 diabetes mellitus (HLA-DR3/DR4) and microalbuminuria among patients with the same durations of diabetes.MethodsNinety-nine patients with T1D at the age 18–35 years were recruited for the study. The urine albumin excretion rate was normal when <30 mg/24 h; microalbuminuria 30–300 mg/24 h. Genotypes were investigated in 39 patients with normal albumin excretion rate and duration of diabetes 13.46 ± 3.72 years and in 60 patients with microalbuminuria and duration of diabetes 15.28 ± 4.08 years (p = 0.11). Genetic typing of DR3 and DR4 antigens successfully was performed for 99 subjects. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS v. 20.0.ResultsGenotyping of 99 patients with T1D was performed: no DR3 and DR4 risk alleles were found in 22 (22.22 %) cases, DR3 alleles were present in 47 (47.48 %) cases, DR4 alleles in 25 (25.25 %) cases, and DR3/DR4 alleles in 5 (5.05 %) cases. The highest 24 h albumin excretion rate was found in patients with DRB1 gene expressed DR3 risk alleles group, the lowest - in patients with DRB1 gene with no expression of both DR3 and DR4 antigen. We confirmed the 1.87 (p = 0.021) increased relative risk for microalbuminuria in patients with DR3/DR3 alleles and same duration of diabetes. The distribution of DR3 and DR4 risk alleles was not associated with cardiovascular autonomic neuropathy both in patients with normal albumin excretion rate and microalbuminuria (1.6 vs 2.1; p = 0.21).ConclusionsThe 1.87 (p = 0.021) increased relative risk for microalbuminuria was found in patients with DR3/DR3 alleles and the same duration of diabetes.

Increased urine podocyte-associated messenger RNAs in severe obesity are evidence of podocyte injury.

The aim of this study was to correlate different degrees of excess weight with the expression of podocyte-associated messenger RNAs (mRNAs) in urine. The sample comprised 83 patients with overweight or obesity class I, II, or III and 18 healthy controls. The expression of nephrin, podocin, podocalyxin, α-actinin-4, α3β1integrin, vascular endothelial growth factor, and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-β1 ) mRNA in urine was quantified with the real-time polymerase chain reaction. mRNA expression was correlated with body mass index, the metabolic syndrome, albuminuria, and inflammation. Adults with obesity class III had higher levels of serum lipids, glucose, HbA1C, insulin resistance, and C-reactive protein (P < 0.05), with 85% of the subjects meeting criteria for the metabolic syndrome (P < 0.001 vs. other groups). Urinary podocyte-associated mRNAs were higher in adults with obesity class III than in other groups (P < 0.05). Patients with overweight or obesity class I or II also had higher levels of podocyte mRNAs than controls: nephrin (P = 0.021), α-actinin-4 (P = 0.014), α3β1integrin (P = 0.036), and TGF-β1 (P = 0.005). Metabolic syndrome, hyperinsulinemia, and C-reactive protein were correlated with podocyturia, but only higher insulin levels were related regardless of obesity. Severe obesity and hyperinsulinemia were associated with higher urinary expression of podocyte-associated mRNAs, even at normal urinary albumin excretion rates.

Bacterial infections in patients with type 1 diabetes: a 14-year follow-up study

ObjectiveThis study explored the annual occurrence/incidence of bacterial infections, and their association with chronic hyperglycemia and diabetic nephropathy, in patients with type 1 diabetes.DesignIn a register-based follow-up study, we investigated...

Hormone replacement therapy, renal function and heart ultrasonographic parameters in postmenopausal women: an observational study.

A certain degree of impaired kidney function is related to an increased cardiovascular risk. The cardiovascular protection exerted in the postmenopausal state by the hormone replacement therapy (HRT) is debated. No studies have so far explored the relationship between menopause, renal function and cardiovascular risk profile in healthy menopausal women in relation with HRT. A total of 362 postmenopausal healthy women with normal albumin excretion rate were recruited and divided into two groups (HRT+ and HRT-) according to the presence or absence of HRT. All participants underwent a complete routine biochemical analyses and an echocardiogram. Clinical characteristics of the two groups were similar, but HRT+ showed a significantly higher estimated glomerular filtration rate (GFR; by CKD-EPI formula). Regarding the heart ultrasonography, HRT+ had a significantly lower size of the aortic root and left atrium diameter (p = 0.038 and p = 0.012, respectively); no differences were found in the ejection fraction and Left Ventricular Mass Index (LVMI). In the whole study group, eGFR correlated inversely with LVMI and with the size of the aortic root (both p < 0.0001), being GFR the only determinant of the former by a stepwise regression. Dividing the study population according to an eGFR cut-off (> 80 and < 80 ml/min/1.73 m(2)); > 80 women, in comparison with < 80, showed a significantly lower LVMI and lower size of aortic bulb, further reduced in the HRT+. In a cohort of healthy, drug-naïve, postmenopausal women, HRT seems to positively affect glomerular filtration and is associated with lower values of left ventricular mass and aortic root size, thus offering a further mechanism through female hormones exert cardioprotection.

Decreased plasma levels of select very long chain ceramide species Are associated with the development of nephropathy in type 1 diabetes

ObjectiveSphingolipid metabolism is altered in diabetes and we analyzed the plasma concentrations of sphingolipid species to investigate their association with the development of albuminuria in type 1 patients with diabetes. Materials and MethodsSamples were collected from 497 type 1 diabetic patients during their enrollment into the Diabetes Control and Complications Trial (DCCT). We determined plasma concentrations of multiple ceramide species and individual sphingoid bases and their phosphates using high performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry and investigated their association with the development of albuminuria during 14–20 years of follow-up. ResultsPatients exhibited normal albumin excretion rates (AER <40mg/24h) at the time of plasma sampling. Although the majority of patients (N=291; 59%) exhibited normal levels of albuminuria throughout follow-up, 141 patients (28%) progressed to microalbuminuria (40mg/24h≤AER<300mg/24h), while 65 (13%) progressed to macroalbuminuria (AER ≥300mg/24h). To test the association of log transformed plasma sphingolipid level with the development of albuminuria, generalized logistic regression models were used where normal, micro- and macroalbuminuria were the outcomes of interest. Models were adjusted for DCCT treatment group, baseline retinopathy, gender, baseline HbA1c %, age, AER, lipid levels, diabetes duration, and the use of ACE/ARB drugs. Increased plasma levels of very long, but not long chain ceramide species measured at DCCT baseline were associated with decreased odds to develop macroalbuminuria during the subsequent nineteen years (DCCT Baseline to EDIC year 8). ConclusionThese studies demonstrate, prospectively, that decreased plasma levels of select ceramide species are associated with the development of macroalbuminuria in type 1 diabetes.

Antihypertensive Treatment and Resistant Hypertension in Patients With Type 1 Diabetes by Stages of Diabetic Nephropathy

To assess blood pressure (BP) control, antihypertensive treatment, and prevalence of resistant hypertension (RH) in patients with type 1 diabetes stratified by stage of diabetic nephropathy. This cross-sectional study included a nationally representative cohort of patients with type 1 diabetes (N = 3,678) from the Finnish Diabetic Nephropathy Study (FinnDiane). The data were linked to the Drug Prescription Register to obtain purchases of antihypertensive drugs 6 months prior to the baseline visit. The treatment targets were based on the American Diabetes Association guidelines. RH was defined as failure to reach BP target despite the use of three or more antihypertensive drugs of different classes (one of which was a diuretic). In patients with normal albumin excretion rate, 14.1% were on antihypertensive treatment and 74.6% of them had uncontrolled BP despite treatment. The corresponding figures were 60.5 and 71.2% for the microalbuminuric patients, 90.3 and 80.0% for the macroalbuminuric patients, 88.6 and 88.1% for dialysis, and 91.2 and 90.4% for kidney-transplanted patients. The prevalence of RH was 1.2% in the normoalbuminuric, 4.7% in the microalbuminuric, 28.1% in the macroalbuminuric, 36.6% in the dialysis, and 26.3% in the kidney transplant groups. Age (odds ratio 1.04 [95% CI 1.02-1.05]), estimated glomerular filtration rate (0.97 [0.96-0.97]), waist-to-hip ratio (1.44 [1.15-1.80]), triglycerides (1.19 [1.01-1.40]), microalbuminuria (2.58 [1.43-4.67]), and macroalbuminuria (5.61 [3.20-9.84]) were independently associated with RH. The prevalence of uncontrolled hypertension and RH increases with advanced diabetic nephropathy. These data suggest that there is an urgent need for improvement of antihypertensive treatment.