Pediatric Nephrology

, Volume 20, Issue 6, pp 750–758 | Cite as

Widening of foot processes in normoalbuminuric adolescents with type 1 diabetes

  • Torun Birgitta Torbjörnsdotter
  • Nina Elisabeth Staffansdotter Sohlman Perrin
  • Georg Alexander Jaremko
  • Ulla Birgitta Berg
Original Article
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Abstract

We compared renal morphology in normoalbuminuric adolescents with type 1 diabetes with age-and sex-matched controls. Renal morphological measurements in 46 unselected adolescents with diabetes for approx. 10 years were compared with those in 20 healthy kidney donors. Renal volume estimated by ultra-sound, renal function determined by clearances of inulin and para-aminohippurate, and long-term mean HbA1c were measured in the patient group. Basement membrane thickness (BMT), mesangial matrix and capillary volume fractions per glomerulus [VV(matrix/glom), VV(cap/glom)] were significantly greater in patients than in controls (505 nm, 10.5%, 46.7% vs. 320 nm, 7.9% and 39.3%). The foot processes were wider in patients than in living donors (414 nm vs. 372 nm). There was no difference in mean kidney volume of patients with diabetes and healthy subjects. Glomerular filtration rate, body weight, and slit pore length density explained 60% of the variance in renal volume. After about 10 years’ duration of type 1 diabetes, BMT, VV(matrix/glom), VV(cap/glom), and foot process width were greater in normoalbuminuric adolescents than in healthy controls. This increase in foot processes of normoalbuminuric patients has not been reported before.

Keywords

Kidney biopsy Insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus Adolescents Diabetic nephropathy Kidney morphology Foot processes Basement membrane thickness 
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Notes

Acknowledgements

We thank Professor Mauer, Department of Pediatrics, University of Minnesota, Minn., USA, who sent us renal biopsy tissue from normal control subjects to enable comparisons of our patients with diabetes to controls. We also thank Björn Sandberg for computer assistance and Elisabeth Berg for comments and valuable advice concerning statistical analyses. This study was supported by grants from the Trygg-Hansa Research Fund, Samariten Foundation, Mayflower Foundation, “Förenade Liv” Mutual Group Life Insurance Company, Stockholm, Sweden, Fund of Jerring Foundation, Frimurare Barnhuset Foundation, Child Diabetes Fund, Karolinska Institutet, and Swedish Medical Research Council (no. 6864).

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Copyright information

© IPNA 2005

Authors and Affiliations

  • Torun Birgitta Torbjörnsdotter
    • 1
  • Nina Elisabeth Staffansdotter Sohlman Perrin
    • 1
  • Georg Alexander Jaremko
    • 2
  • Ulla Birgitta Berg
    • 1
  1. 1.Department of Pediatrics Karolinska InstitutetKarolinska University Hospital HuddingeStockholmSweden
  2. 2.Department of Pathology, Karolinska InstitutetKarolinska University Hospital SolnaSolnaSweden

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