Background: Although metabolic syndrome traits are risk factors for chronic kidney disease, few studies have examined their association with urinary biomarkers.
Methods: Urinary biomarkers, including A-megalin, C-megalin, podocalyxin, albumin, α1-microglobulin, β2-microglobulin, and N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase, were cross-sectionally assessed in 347 individuals (52.7% men) with a urine albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) < 300 mg/g in a health checkup. Metabolic syndrome traits were adopted from the National Cholesterol Education Program (third revision) of the Adult Treatment Panel criteria modified for Asians.
Results: Participants had a mean body mass index, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), and median ACR of 23.0 kg/m2, 74.8 mL/min/1.73 m2, and 7.5 mg/g, respectively. In age- and sex-adjusted logistic regression analysis, A-megalin and albumin were significantly associated with the clustering number of metabolic syndrome traits (3 or more). After further adjustment with eGFR, higher quartiles of A-megalin and albumin were each independently associated with the clustering number of metabolic syndrome traits (adjusted odds ratio for A-megalin: 1.30 per quartile, 95% CI 1.03-1.64; albumin: 1.42 per quartile, 95% CI 1.12-1.79).
Conclusions: Both urinary A-megalin and albumin are associated with the clustering number of metabolic syndrome traits. Further research on urinary A-megalin is warranted to examine its role as a potential marker of kidney damage from metabolic risk factors.
Keywords: Albuminuria; Chronic kidney disease; Megalin; Metabolic syndrome; Proximal renal tubule; Urinary biomarker.
© 2022. The Author(s).