Serum uric acid and insulin secretion in diabetes mellitus.

Abstract

In order to define the relationship, if any, between serum uric acid and insulin pattern in different types of diabetes mellitus, 4 groups of subjects (controls, and affected by type 1 and type 2 diabetes mellitus, with and without obesity) were considered. In each group, successively cleared of the long-term and complicated diabetic patients, serum and urinary uric acid and insulin secretion (serum C-peptide values) were determined. Serum uric acid and C-peptide values were higher in type 2 obese diabetic subjects vs the other groups of patients and controls (p < 0.001). No difference was found, on the contrary, between creatinine clearance and urinary excretion of uric acid among the groups. Moreover, serum uric acid values were in positive correlation (p < 0.02) with serum C-peptide values considering, among the diabetic subjects, only those with duration of diabetes less than 5 years and without micro-macrovascular complications. In conclusion, these data lead to presume that diabetic patients with short duration of disease and without complications show a different serum uric acid pattern, strictly related to beta-cellular secretion.