Studies on clinical markers of diabetes mellitus. 6. Red blood cell sorbitol and diabetic complications.

The relationship between red blood cell sorbitol content and diabetic complications (cataract, retinopathy, neuropathy, and nephropathy) was examined in 23 non-insulin-dependent diabetic (NIDD) patients. Sorbitol content was abnormally high in 21 cases out of 23 NIDD patients. Sorbitol content in the non-neuropathy group and neuropathy group was 47.3 +/- 11.9 and 59.6 +/- 23.6 nmol/gHb, respectively. In the non-cataract group and cataract group, it was 49.0 +/- 17.6 and 66.0 +/- 23.5 nmol/gHb, respectively. The contents in the Scott I group and Scott II + III group were 54.9 +/- 20.7 and 58.7 +/- 24.0 nmol/gHb, respectively. Sorbitol content in the non-nephropathy group and nephropathy group was 52.8 +/- 19.8 and 61.1 +/- 21.9 nmol/gHb, respectively. The possibility that glyceraldehyde reductase (GAR) and sorbitol dehydrogenase (SDH) levels in red blood cells are also useful indicators of the presence of diabetic complications is strongly suggested.