Relationship between Urinary Pentosidine Concentration and Vascular Complications in Type 2 Diabetic Patients

Objective: I examined the relationship between urinary pentosidine concentration and vascular complications in patients with type 2 diabetes in order to investigate the pathophysiological roles of pentosidine. Methods: I performed a cross-sectional study in 119 Japanese patients with type 2 diabetes. The correlation of urinary pentosidine concentration with age, diabetes duration, HbA1c and blood glucose levels was investigated. Urinary pentosidine concentration was compared between patients with and without diabetic microvascular complications (retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy), and macrovascular disease. Results: Urinary pentosidine concentration showed a significant positive correlation with age and duration of diabetes. However, it did not correlate with HbA1c, fasting plasma glucose, and postprandial plasma glucose. Patients with diabetic retinopathy showed a significantly higher urinary pentosidine concentration than those without retinopathy. On the other hand, urinary pentosidine concentration did not differ between patients with and without nephropathy, neuropathy, and macrovascular diseases. Stepwise regression analysis demonstrated that age, body mass index, and retinopathy were independent determinants of urinary pentosidine concentration. Logistic regression analysis demonstrated that urinary pentosidine concentration and duration of diabetes were independent determinants of diabetic retinopathy. Conclusion: Urinary pentosidine might have significance as a novel biomarker of retinopathy in patients with type 2 diabetes.