Abstract
This aim of this study was to investigate the correlation between urine haptoglobin/creatinine
ratio(UHCR) and tubular injury biomarkers or severity of albuminuria in type 2 diabetes.
Recruited T2DM patients (n=120) were divided into three groups based on urine albumin/creatinine
ratio (UACR): normal albuminuria (Normo group, UACR<30 mg/g, n=40), microalbuminuria
(Micro group, 30 mg/g ≤UACR<300 mg/g, n=38), and macroalbuminuria (Macro group, UACR
≥300 mg/g, n=42), with matched healthy individuals (NC group, n=30) as controls. ELISA
assay was used to detect the levels of urine haptoglobin, NGAL and KIM-1. Automated
biochemical analyzer was applied to detect the concentrations of urine creatinine
and retinol binding protein (RBP). To eliminate concentration errors, urine NGAL,
KIM-1, and RBP were normalized by creatinine and expressed as UHCR, UNCR, UKCR, and
URCR, respectively. We found UHCR was significantly increased in T2DM patients as
compared with NC group. Among the three diabetic groups, the Macro group had the highest
level of UHCR, whereas the Normo group had the lowest level. T2DM patients with higher
UHCR levels also had higher levels of UNCR, UKCR, and URCR. Spearman’s correlation
analysis indicated that UHCR was positively correlated with UACR, UNCR, UKCR, or URCR
levels, and negatively correlated with eGFR. ROC curve analysis showed that UHCR was
a sensitive and specific indicator for early diagnosis of DN. Stepwise multiple regression
analysis showed that UHCR and UNCR were independent variables for UACR. Our research
demonstrated that UHCR correlates with tubular injury biomarkers, including UNCR,
UKCR, and URCR, and is independently associated with the severity of albuminuria in
T2DM.
Key words
urine haptoglobin - type 2 diabetic nephropathy - tubular injury biomarkers - albuminuria