Oxidized albumin in blood reflects the severity of multiple vascular complications in diabetes mellitus

Albumin has an oxidized form, known as non-mercaptalbumin (HNA), which reflects systemic oxidative stress. The association between serum HNA levels and diabetic complications are yet to be reported. In this cross-sectional study, we investigated 164 diabetic subjects to assess the correlation between HNA% (the proportion in the total albumin) and various clinical parameters. HNA% was significantly associated with the severity of multiple complications including neuropathy (23.3 ± 4.1% vs 26.2 ± 5.1%) and nephropathy (24.1 ± 3.9%, 24.6 ± 4.2%, 28.5 ± 6.1%, 31.3 ± 5.7%, 37.8 ± 2.9%, stage 1/2/3/4/5, respectively). These findings highlight the universal importance of oxidative stress, indicating HNA% potential as a versatile marker of the severity of diabetic complications.