[Analysis of urinary citrate and oxalate in 42 diabetics]

Among 42 diabetics, there were 32 with the disease remaining uncontrolled after treatment. Their fasting blood glucose was 15.24 +/- 5.37 mmol/L (mean +/- S), urinary glucose 42.6 +/- 47.83 g/24 hr, urinary oxalate 0.43 +/- 0.16 mmol/24 hr and urinary citrate 3.60 +/- 2.28 mmol/24 hr All of these levels were higher than those in a control group (P less than 0.001). Urinary citrate level was significantly positively correlated with fasting blood glucose level (gamma = 0.3954, P less than 0.001). In the remaining 10 diabetics with the disease controlled after treatment the fasting blood glucose was 7.04 +/- 0.92 mmol/L, urinary citrate 1.92 +/- 0.96 mmol/24 hr and urinary oxalate 0.37 +/- 0.11 mmol/24 hr. All of these levels were significantly lower than those before treatment (P less than 0.01) and were not different from those in the control group (P greater than 0.05). This explains that urinary citrate and oxalate increased when diabetes is uncontrolled as a result of accelerated decomposition due to increased metabolism. Urinary oxalate level is correlated positively with that of urinary citrate (gamma = 0.3773, P less than 0.05). Urinary oxalate and citrate are good index reflecting diabetic metabolic changes. Analysis of urinary oxalate with ion-chromatography is accurate and rapid method worthy to be used clinically.