Comparison of N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase and albuminuria with clinical finding of microangiopathy in type I diabetes mellitus.

N-acetyl-beta-Glucosaminidase activity in serum and urine and microalbuminuria were measured in 70 type-I diabetics and compared with glycated serum protein as well as with the finding of diabetic retinopathy. A significantly increased N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity in serum correlated positively with glycated protein but not with the development of retinopathy. Urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity and albuminuria were significantly increased in diabetics with (p less than 0.001) or without (p less than 0.01) retinopathy as compared to healthy controls. A significant positive correlation was observed between urinary N-acetyl-beta-glucosaminidase activity and albuminuria (r = 0.73, p less than 0.01) as well as between blood pressure and albuminuria (r = 0.51, p less than 0.05).