Elevation of urinary βig-h3, transforming growth factor-β-induced protein in patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

Ha, Sung-Woo; Kim, Hyun-Ji; Bae, Jong-Sup; Jeong, Gui-Hwa; Chung, Sung-Chang; Kim, Jung-Guk; Park, Sun-Hee; Kim, Yong-Lim; Kam, Sin; Kim, In-San; Kim, Bo-Wan

doi:10.1016/j.diabres.2004.01.007

« Previous Next »Diabetes Research and Clinical Practice
Volume 65, Issue 2 , Pages 167-173, August 2004

Elevation of urinary βig-h3, transforming growth factor-β-induced protein in patients with type 2 diabetes and nephropathy

Sung-Woo Ha
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Hyun-Ji Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Jong-Sup Bae
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Gui-Hwa Jeong
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Sung-Chang Chung
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Jung-Guk Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Sun-Hee Park
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Yong-Lim Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Sin Kam
- Department of Preventive Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
In-San Kim
- Department of Biochemistry, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
Bo-Wan Kim
- Department of Internal Medicine, School of Medicine, Kyungpook National University, Daegu 700-422, Republic of Korea
- Corresponding author.

Received 30 September 2003; received in revised form 16 January 2004; accepted 22 January 2004.

Abstract

Transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β) is a pro-sclerotic growth factor implicated in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. βig-h3 is an extracellular matrix protein which is induced in many cells by TGF-β. This study examined urinary βig-h3 excretion in diabetic patients with elevated urinary albumin excretion and the clinical application of urinary βig-h3 as a marker of diabetic nephropathy. Urinary and serum βig-h3 levels were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay in 163 type 2 diabetic patients and 101 healthy control subjects of comparable age and weight. The ratio of urinary βig-h3 and TGF-β to creatinine was analyzed in patients with different degree of nephropathy. The βig-h3 to creatinine ratio in urine was elevated in all groups of type 2 diabetics with normoalbuminuria (101.6±9.27), microalbuminuria (120.2±14.48), and overt proteinuria (146.3±16.34), when compared with control subjects (64.8±7.14) (P<0.01). There was a positive correlation between urinary βig-h3 and TGF-β excretion rate and a positive correlation between urinary βig-h3 and albumin excretion rate (AER). These data show that urinary levels of βig-h3 are elevated in type 2 diabetic patients with nephropathy and may be used as a marker of diabetic nephropathy.

Abbreviations: βig-h3, transforming growth factor-β-induced gene-h3, TGF-β, transforming growth factor, AER, albumin excretion rate

Keywords: TGF-β, Urinary βig-h3, Diabetic nephropathy