Correlation between increased serum sFas levels and microalbuminuria in type 1 diabetic patients.

OBJECTIVE The aim of this study was to elucidate if apoptosis dysregulation is present in type 1 diabetic patients with microalbuminuria. SUBJECTS AND METHODS The following variables were determined in 29 type 1 diabetic patients: the duration of diabetes, soluble Fas (sFas), Bcl-2, hemoglobin A(1c) levels, glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and microalbuminuria, using the urine albumin to urine creatinine ratio (ACR). Age and gender were assessed and patients were categorized into two groups, according to their ACR: the microalbuminuric (MA) group with an ACR > or =30 mg/g, and the normoalbuminuric (NA) group with an ACR <30 mg/g. RESULTS The differences between the two groups regarding sFas, Bcl-2 and GFR were not statistically significant. However, in the MA group, a significant positive relationship between sFas and ACR was observed (r = 0.736, p = 0.015). Dividing patients into two subgroups--mild versus severe (ACR > or =150 mg/g) microalbuminuric patients--significant differences in sFas (60.4 vs. 87.2 pg/ml; p = 0.047) and GFR (113 vs. 69.5 ml min(-1) 1.73 m(-2); p = 0.021) were observed, whereas in Bcl-2, the difference was not significant (77.96 vs. 71.13 ng/ml). CONCLUSIONS At the early stages of diabetic nephropathy in type 1 diabetic patients, there seems to be a dysregulation of apoptosis, as expressed by enhanced sFas levels, leading to the speculation that the prevalence of antiapoptotic mechanisms (sFas) may promote mesangial proliferation.