Glycated proteins in diabetes.

The term nonenzymatic glycation (of protein) refers to a wide variety of spontaneous reactions between reducing sugars and protein-bound amines. This reaction has been documented in humans and plays a role in the development of diabetic complications and perhaps in some of the degenerative processes of aging. In addition to the monocarbonyl sugars and their derivatives, an additional source of glycation is alpha-dicarbonyls. Over time, nonenzymatic glycation leads to the formation of irreversible terminal products known collectively as advanced glycation end-products (AGE) and extensive data on the role of AGEs in the etiology of diabetic complications exist. Our improved ability to measure alpha-dicarbonyls and specific AGEs may provide new and more powerful tools to monitor diabetes and predict diabetic complications in the future.