DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY;

Objectives: To compare serum uric acid levels in different stages of diabeticnephropathy. Study Design: Descriptive analytical study. Setting: University of Health ScienceLahore. Period: February 2010 to January 2011. Subjects and methods: A sample size of195 diabetic subjects. They were divided among normoalbuminuric, microalbuminuric andmacroalbuminuric groups, according to their daily urinary albumin excretion rate (AER), with65 patients in each group. Their glomerular filtration rate (GFR), daily AER and serum uricacid was evaluated by conducting tests on serum and urine samples. Statistics: Kruskal-Wallis test and Mann-Whitney U test were used to observe differences of medians in differentgroups. P value less than 0.05 was taken statistically significant. Results: There was majority ofmales in microalbuminuric and macroalbuminuric groups while females were more in numberin normoalbuminuric group. Significant differences were found in serum urea concentration,serum creatinine concentration, serum uric acid concentration, glomerular filtration rate, urinarycreatinine concentration, urine flow rate, daily albumin excretion rate and urinary albuminconcentration among the three groups. Urinary creatinine concentration and glomerularfiltration rate were in the highest ranges in normoalbuminuric group and in the lowest rangesin macroalbuminuric group. While rest of the parameters (ie. age, duration of diabetes, serumurea concentration, serum creatinine concentration, urine flow rate, daily AER , urinary albuminconcentration and serum uric acid concentration) were in the lowest ranges in normoalbuminuricgroup and in the highest ranges in macroalbuminuric group. There was significant increaseserum uric acid levels in advancing stages of diabetic nephropathy. p <0.05 was takenstatistically significant. Conclusion: It is concluded that serum uric acid increases with theadvancing stages of diabetic nephropathy. Progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate andgradual rise in serum creatinine level occurs throughout the course of diabetic nephropathy.