Cells Predict Diabetic Kidney Disease in Men

Reported October 02, 2009

(Ivanhoe Newswire) -- A key indicator for diabetic kidney disease in men may be traced to a cell type linked to allergic inflammation.

More and more allergy patients are being diagnosed across the world, and kidney disease is a severe complication for diabetics. Finding a relationship between the two shows great promise for the development of new preventive drugs, according to researchers.

The researchers examined 800 type 2 diabetics for two factors, eosinophil count and albumin excretion. Eosinophils are white blood cells that contribute to inflammation in allergic diseases. Urinealbumin is a strong indicator of diabetic kidney disease. The study showed the higher the eosinophil count, the higher the albumin excretion rate, and the higher the risk for diabetic kidney disease. The relationship between the markers for allergies and kidney disease was even stronger than that for the known risks factors of blood pressure and poor diabetes control. These results were strong in male patients, but no correlation was found in the women participants.

Kidney disease is a major risk factor for heart disease in type 2 diabetics. If previous studies correlating allergies and asthma to heart disease are correct, eosinophil count may be very useful in predicting related both diabetes-related kidney disease and heart disease in men.

SOURCE: Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology, November 2009