Urinary Excretion of Amino Acids in Children with Type 1 Diabetes

Objective: The aim of this study is to analyze the urinary excretion of amino acids in a group of children with type 1 diabetes without microalbuminuria.

Methods: A clinical assessment and metabolic study (HB1AC, GFR, urinary albumin excretion and urinary excretion of amino acids) was accomplished in a group of 49 children diagnosed with type 1 diabetes, aged 8.6 to 14.3 years, and a group of 48 healthy children (control group), aged 7.4 to 14.8 years.

Results: Branched-chain (54.5±26.5 vs. 101.1±36.7 μmol/m2), glucogenic (252.5±178.7 vs. 943.7±370.5 μmol/m2) and ketogenic (236.4±121.1 vs. 530.6±215.7 μmol/m2) amino acid urinary levels were significantly lower (p< 0.05) in the diabetic group compared to the control group. The mean values of the glucogenic/total amino acid ratio (0.34±0.09 vs. 0.50±0.07) were significantly lower (p<0.05) in the diabetic group with respect to the control group. There were no significant differences in the ketogenic/total amino acid ratio (0.33±0.16 vs. 0.28±0.12) between both groups. There was no correlation between the levels of each amino acid (or amino acids group) in urine and the time of evolution, Hb1Ac, urinary albumin excretion, GFR and blood pressure.

Conclusions: The study of amino acid urinary excretion might have interest not only in the context of diabetic nephropathy, but also in the revealing of partial aspects of amino acid metabolism and, probably, in the metabolic control of the disease.

Keywords: Amino acids. Children. Type 1 diabetes. Urinary excretion.