Tissue-polypeptide-specific antigen levels in diabetic patients with normal and pathological biochemical profiles.

Objectives: To identify causes for the raised TPS levels seen in diabetic patients.

Design And Methods: Relationships between TPS levels and biochemical markers for glycaemic control, hepatic dysfunction and renal dysfunction were investigated in 402 diabetic patients, none with evidence of cancer.

Results: Median TPS level (range) was 34.6 (19-276) U/L in controls versus 40.5 (16-691) U/L in type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM) patients and 53 (6-1654) U/L in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) patients. TPS levels above the 95th percentile were observed in 26.1% diabetic patients and in 68.6% of these diabetic patients, raised TPS was associated with clinical complications or biochemical indicators of hepatic and/or renal dysfunction.

Conclusions: The raised mean TPS levels seen in diabetic patients appear to be mainly due to the existence of hepatic or renal dysfunction.