Serum amyloid A protein in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus.

We determined the serum amyloid A protein (SAA) levels in patients with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM), and investigated the possible association between SAA and the complications of NIDDM. The concentrations of SAA were measured in the plasma of 105 patients with NIDDM (52 men and 53 women, age mean +/- SD, 61 +/- 13 years) and 91 healthy subjects (37 men and 54 women, aged 57 +/- 11 years). SAA concentrations were assayed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. SAA concentrations in the patients with NIDDM were significantly higher than those in healthy subjects (2.1 +/- 1.3 vs. 1.2 +/- 0.5 mg/L). There were no obvious relationships between SAA levels and duration of diabetes, type of therapy, or control of blood sugar in the patients with NIDDM. However, SAA levels in patients with NIDDM increased significantly, with increase of urinary albumin excretion (p = 0.027). The increase of SAA in the patients with NIDDM did not influence the serum concentrations of lipid or lipoprotein. The SAA concentration in NIDDM was unrelated to the type of treatment, but seemed to be related to the development of diabetic nephropathy.