Hypouricemia in type 2 diabetes mellitus without nephropathy: A case control study

Introduction: Some previous studies and our recent study had shown low serum uric acid (UA) in Diabetic patients compared to Non diabetics and it was suggested that low serum UA levels in Diabetics are probably due to uricosuric effect of urinary Glucose. This study was conducted to have an insight regarding the pathophysiology of low serum UA levels in Diabetics. Materials And Methods:Fasting blood glucose(FBG) , Post lunch blood glucose(PLBG), serum UA and 24 hr urinary excretion were estimated in Type 2 Diabetics without nephropathy (Cases) and in Nondiabetic inpatients(Controls) who got admitted into various Departments of KIMS hospital. The comparison of serum UA and 24hr urinary excretion between cases and controls and correlation between 24 hr urinary excretion, FBG and serum UA in cases was tested using SPSS 19 version. Result: Serum UA Mean is low in Diabetics compared to Non diabetics and this difference is significant whereas 24 hr urinary excretion is significantly higher in Diabetics compared to Nondiabetics. Significant negative association between FBG and serum UA and positive association between 24hr urinary UA and FBG and negative association of 24 hr urinary excretion with serum UA in Diabetics which is nonsignificant. Summary and Conclusions:At high concentrations of FBG there is increase in 24 hr urinary excretion providing an objective evidence to hypothesis that low UA levels in diabetics are probably due to inhibition of UA reabsorption in the proximal convoluted tubule of kidney by glucose.