Erythrocyte Sodium-Lithium Countertransport Activity as a Marker of Predisposition to Hypertension and Diabetic Nephropathy in NIDDM
- Jun Fujita, MD,
- Kinsuke Tsuda, MD,
- Michiyo Seno, MD,
- Hiroshi Obayashi, PHD,
- Iwao Fukui, MD and
- Yutaka Seino, MD
- Department of Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan
- Department of Integrated Human Science, Kyoto University, Kyoto, Japan
- Osaka Kampo Medical Center, Osaka, Japan
- Kyoto Microbiological Institute, Kyoto Japan
- Address correspondence and reprint requests to Jun Fujita, MD, Department of Metabolism and Clinical Nutrition, Kyoto University Faculty of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawahara-cho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606, Japan.
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To evaluate the potentiality of erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport activity (SLC) as a marker of predisposition to hypertension and diabetic nephropathy in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM).
RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We examined 96 patients with NIDDM and 26 healthy control subjects. SLC and other data were compared among subgroups of the patients classified on the basis of hypertension, family history of hypertension, and stages of nephropathy. Data were also analyzed by stepwise multiple regression analyses.
RESULTS SLC was significantly higher in patients with hypertension than in those with normotension and significantly higher in patients with a positive family history of hypertension than in the negative group. Further analysis revealed that a family history of hypertension has independent influence on SLC, but hypertension itself does not. SLC was significantly higher in patients with macroalbuminuria than with microalbuminuria and higher in patients with microalbuminuria than with nor-moalbuminuria. In stepwise multiple regression analyses, a family history of hypertension was the most important determinant of SLC, and SLC was the most important determinant of nephropathy.
CONCLUSIONS These data suggest that SLC strongly reflects a predisposition to hypertension and that it can be a useful marker of diabetic nephropathy in NIDDM.
- Received November 24, 1993.
- Revision received April 7, 1994.
- Accepted April 7, 1994.
- Copyright © 1994 by the American Diabetes Association
