Elevated SUA may help identify early kidney injury in children living with T1DM. Findings published in European Journal of Pediatrics examined the association between SUA levels and microalbuminuria, an early indicator of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

Elevated serum uric acid (SUA) may help identify early kidney injury in children living with type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM). Findings published in European Journal of Pediatrics examined the association between SUA levels and microalbuminuria, an early indicator of diabetic kidney disease (DKD).

This retrospective study included 138 pediatric patients with at least one year of T1DM follow-up. Participants were grouped by urine albumin/creatinine ratio into normoalbuminuric and microalbuminuric categories and stratified based on SUA levels using a threshold of 3.98 mg/dL. The mean SUA concentration across the cohort was 3.85 ± 1.0 mg/dL.

Children with microalbuminuria had significantly higher SUA levels. ROC analysis demonstrated the predictive value of a SUA cut-off of 3.98 mg/dL, and SUA ≥3.98 mg/dL was associated with a more than threefold increase in the likelihood of microalbuminuria (odds ratio 3.06, 95 percent confidence interval 1.31–7.13).

These findings suggest a potential role for SUA in risk stratification for DKD in pediatric T1DM, although cut-off interpretation should remain cautious in clinical care.