[Studies on coagulation-fibrinolytic system in diabetic nephropathy--with reference to plasma TAT and alpha 2PIC]

Coagulation-fibrinolytic system is known to be one of the exacerbating factors in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The aim of the present study was to evaluate whether coagulation-fibrinolytic system in patients with diabetic nephropathy were significantly correlated with the development of this disease using new parameters of plasma thrombin antithrombin III complex (TAT) and plasmin alpha 2 plasmin inhibitor complex (alpha 2PIC). Fifty-six patients with NIDDM were examined. None of these patients showed more than 1.3 mg/dl of serum creatinine levels. These patients were divided into three groups according to the levels of albumin creatinine ratio (ACR) in urine as follows: 1) group I had ACR of less than 30 mg/g.Cr; 2) group II had ACR of greater than 30 mg/g.Cr and less than 100 mg/g.Cr; 3) group III had ACR of greater than 100 mg/g.Cr. Correlations of levels of plasma TAT and alpha 2PIC, levels of HbAlc, duration of diabetes, and presence of retinopathy were determined in these groups. The levels of plasma TAT and alpha 2PIC increased as the levels of urinary ACR increased regardless of presence of retinopathy. The levels of TAT and alpha 2PIC with retinopathy increased compared with those without retinopathy. There was a significantly positive correlation between plasma TAT and alpha 2PIC (r = 0.52, p less than 0.01). The levels of HbAlc and duration of diabetes did not significantly correlate to plasma TAT and alpha 2PIC. These data suggest that the existence of increase in coagulation-fibrinolytic system seem to be one of the exacerbating factors in patients with diabetic nephropathy.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)