Association of serum YKL-40 levels with urinary albumin excretion rate in young Japanese patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus

• Published in: ENDOCRINE JOURNAL 2013-01, Vol.60 (1), p.73-79
• Main Authors: Fumie Sakamoto, Naoto Katakami, Hideaki Kaneto, Tetsuyuki Yasuda, Mitsuyoshi Takahara, Kazuyuki Miyashita, Akio Kuroda, Munehide Matsuhisa, Keisuke Kosugi, Iichiro Shimomura
• Format: Article
• Language: Japanese
• ISSN: 0918-8959

Abstract. YKL-40 is a marker of inflammation and endothelial dysfunction, both of which play important roles in the progression of diabetic complications. However, little information has been obtained about serum YKL-40 levels in type 1 diabetic patients. We evaluated YKL-40 levels and its association with diabetic micro- and macroandgiopathy in 131 young Japanese type 1 diabetic patients without advanced diabetic complications (aged 24.7±5.9 years) and 97 age- and gendermatched healthy controls. YKL-40 levels were significantly elevated in type 1 diabetic patients than in healthy controls (median (range) 46.4 (20.3-136.7) and 52.3 (21.4-274.1) ng/mL, respectively, p=0.003). There was a significant positive association between YKL-40 levels and urinary albumin creatinine ratio (UACR) (r=0.226, p=0.013). Furthermore, a multivariate regression analysis demonstrated that YKL-40 levels were a determinant of UACR independently of conventional risk factors. In addition, YKL-40 levels were significantly higher in participants with diabetic retinopathy compared to those without it (median (range) 55.5 (23.3-274.1) and 50.3 (21.4-237.4) ng/mL, respectively, p=0.039). Serum YKL-40 levels were elevated in type 1 diabetic patients and associated with increasing level of albuminuria. YKL-40 could be a predictor to assess the risk of diabetic microangiopathy in the early stage in type 1 diabetic patients.