The 24 h-urinary excretions of albumin, beta 2-microglobulin and N-acetyl-beta-D-glucosaminidase activity in children with IDDM.

Microalbuminuria in diabetics is considered to be a sensitive indicator of early diabetic nephropathy. In this paper, 24 h-urinary excretions of albumin, BMG and NAG activity were measured in forty-one children with insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus. Moreover, the relationships between the urinary excretions of these substances and various clinical parameters of diabetes were analyzed. The mean values (mean +/- SD) of 24 h-urinary albumin, BMG and NAG activity in the diabetic children were 8.0 +/- 10.6 mg/day, 61.2 +/- 69.0 micrograms/day and 1.87 +/- 1.30 U/day, respectively. No significant differences were found between diabetic children and normal controls for these mean values. Nor were significant correlations between the various clinical parameters of diabetes and the urinary excretions of any of these substances found. However, nine of the forty-one diabetic children (22.0%) had higher levels of these urinary substances than those (mean + 2SD) in normal controls. Screening of the 24 h-urinary albumin, BMG and NAG activity should be performed routinely in young patients with diabetes.