A study of urinary myo-inositol as a sensitive marker of glucose intolerance.

Abstract Background : We assessed the possibility of using myo -inositol as a marker of glucose intolerance. Methods : We measured urinary myo -inositol enzymatically before and 2 h after a 75-g oral glucose tolerance test in 564 volunteers, who were divided into four groups [normal glucose tolerance (NGT), impaired fasting glucose (IFG), impaired glucose tolerance (IGT), and diabetes mellitus (DM)]. Furthermore, we classified NGT into NGT-A (2-h blood glucose myo -inositol ( myo -inositol/creatinine ratio: 2-h after glucose load—before load) of each group to investigate the relationship between glucose intolerance and Δ myo -inositol. Results : The glucose tolerance of NGT-B appeared to have deteriorated compared with NGT-A as determined by blood glucose, insulin, and glucosuria. There was very little effect of gender or age on Δ myo -inositol in NGT-A. Δ myo -inositol was significantly higher than that in NGT-A (0.5±7.1 mg/g Cr) not only in IFG (8.7±19.5 mg/g Cr, P P P P myo -inositol to detect NGT-A, sensitivity and specificity were 68% and 72%, respectively. Conclusions : The Δ myo -inositol can be use of a non-invasive and sensitive marker for glucose intolerance.