[Serum and urinary cell growth factors in non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus]

Serum very low molecular weight growth factor like-activity (S-VLMGA, molecular weight less than 3,000) and serum and urinary epidermal growth factor (S-, U-EGF) were investigated in 180 patients of non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) by bioassay using skin fibroblast cells (CCD-27 SK) and enzyme- and radio-immunoassay, respectively. S-VLMGA was slightly elevated in NIDDM patients with retinopathy (RET) and/or neuropathy (NEU), but slightly decreased in those with nephropathy (NEP) compared with patients without complications, though the differences were not significant (without complications: 122 +/- 9, with RET and/or NEU and without NEP: 145 +/- 15, all with NEP: 110 +/- 8% of increased growth activity, mean +/- SE). The similar tendencies were seen in S- and U-EGF in the same groups. However the changes in S-EGF were small and the decrease of U-EGF in patients with NEP was remarkable (U-EGF of without complications: 22.7 +/- 2.5, with RET and/or NEU and without NEP: 24.5 +/- 4.2, all with NEP: 17.6 +/- 3.2 ng/mg creatinine, mean +/- SE). Furthermore, S-VLMGA was inversely, but U-EGF was positively related with the creatinine urinary vs serum ratio. Thus the concentrations of VLMGA and EGF in serum and urine depend on a renal permeability.