Is the serum uric acid (SUA) level and SUA/serum creatinine (Scr) ratio a predictive biomarker for microalbuminuria in patients with diabetes mellitus?

Abstract

Background: The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) is very complex and is still not well understood. SUA has been associated with metabolic risk in a wide range of diseases. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of SUA and SUA/Scr ratio on renal function using glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and microalbuminuria. Methods: A total of 399 patients with diabetes alone, excluding other conditions that affect uric acid levels, were included in the study. Patients were divided into normoalbuminuria (n:247) and microalbuminuria (n:152) groups. SUA, SUA/Scr ratios were compared. Results: Female gender was 53.4% in the normoalbuminuria group and 57.9% in the microalbuminuria group. There was no significant difference in gender between the groups. In the microalbuminuria group, SUA (p=0.032), glucose (p