Diabetes, Vol 37, Issue 9 1202-1211, Copyright © 1988 by American Diabetes Association
Charge selectivity of proteinuria in diabetic glomerulopathy
Y Nakamura and BD Myers
Department of Medicine, Stanford University School of Medicine, California 94305-5114.
Differential macromolecule clearances were used to elucidate the mechanism
of proteinuria in patients with diabetic glomerulopathy. Uncharged dextrans
of graded size, combined with albumin and IgG separated into narrow
fractions of varying charge by preparative electrofocusing, were used to
probe the filtration barrier. Analysis of the fractional clearance profile
of dextrans in the 30- to 60-A interval revealed a small fraction of
filtrate volume (0.0023-0.0097) permeating large nonrestrictive glomerular
pores and correlating strongly with the fractional clearances of albumin (r
= .88, P less than .001) or IgG (r = .91, P less than .001). The fractional
clearance of the most anionic species of albumin [isoelectric point (pI)
4.0-4.5] significantly exceeded that of less anionic species (pI 4.5-5.5)
at all levels of proteinuria. A corresponding increase in fractional
clearance of anionic (pI 4.5-5.0) over neutral (pI 7.0-7.5) IgG species was
observed in patients with subnephrotic-range proteinuria. We conclude that
a loss of barrier size selectivity underlies proteinuria in diabetic
glomerulopathy. In addition, either facilitated filtration of polyanions or
preferential tubular reabsorption of polycations can be invoked to explain
the final composition of urinary protein. Similar loss of size selectivity
combined with enhanced fractional clearance of anionic IgG in a group of
nondiabetic patients with nephrotic syndrome indicates that the foregoing
abnormality of renal protein handling is not unique to diabetic
glomerulopathy.