Abstract
PURPOSE: Intestinal flora imbalance has been implicated in the activation of innate immunity in the kidneys. However, little is known about the potential links between lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-toll-like. receptor 4 (TLR4) signaling activated by intestinal barrier dysfunction and microalbuminuria in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). PATIENTS AND METHODS: 61 patients with T2DM were stratified based on the absence (n=32) or presence (n=29) of microalbuminuria. There were also 28 control subjects. Urinary albumin excretion rate (UAER), serum levels of LPS, D-lactic acid (DLA), diamine oxidase (DAO), fasting blood glucose (FBG), interleukin-6 (IL-6), glycosylated hemoglobin A1 (HbA1c), and high-sensitivity C-reactive protein (hs-CRP), and TLR4 expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) were measured. RESULTS: hs-CRP, IL-6, LPS, DLA, DAO, and TLR4 were markedly increased in subjects with T2DM compared to the controls (P < 0.05 for all). Moreover, LPS was positively correlated with FBG, HbA1c, hs-CRP, IL-6, UAER, DLA, DAO, and TLR4 (P < 0.05 for all). In addition, TLR4 was positively correlated with UAER, hs-CRP, FBG, DLA, HbA1c, and LPS (P < 0.05 for all). In regression analyses, TLR4, LPS, HbA1c, and hs-CRP were independently associated with UAER (P < 0.05 for all), while FBG, LPS, TLR4, and hs-CRP (P < 0.05 for all) were found to be risk factors for microalbuminuria in T2DM. CONCLUSION: Intestinal integrity is compromised in subjects with T2DM, and the activation of LPS-TLR4 signaling might play an important role in the development of microalbuminuria in T2DM.