The aim of this study was to assess the relationship between markers of tubular function, markers of glycaemic control and erythrocyte sodium-lithium countertransport activity (SLC) in 40 normotensive, normoalbuminuric insulin-dependent diabetic (IDDM) subjects and 11 normal control subjects. Nine IDDM subjects had SLC > 0.40 mmol lithium h-1 litre RBC-1. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) and the excretion rate of retinol-binding protein (RBP), N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase (β-NAG) and glucose were significantly higher in IDDM subjects compared to control subjects (Mann-Whitney test, p = 0.02, < 0.001, < 0.001 and < 0.001, respectively), whilst the two groups had similar SLC and TmPO4 levels. There was no significant relationship between SLC and the other variables in IDDM subjects, even when comparing IDDM subjects with normal and high SLC. β-NAG excretion rate was correlated to urinary glucose (rs 0.47, p = 0.001) and, weakly, to the other markers of glycaemic control (fasting blood glucose rs = 0.31, p = 0.03, fructosamine rs 0.28, p = 0.04, HbA[ rs 0.27, p = 0.04). RBP excretion rate was correlated to the excretion rate of β-NAG (rs 0.38; p = 0.007) and albumin (rs 0.45; p = 0.002); the excretion rates of β-NAG and albumin were significantly associated (rs0.37, p = 0.009). Diabetes duration did not correlate to any of the aforementioned variables. In this study, β-NAG and RBP overnight excretion rates were higher in normoalbuminuric IDDM subjects compared to control subjects but no relationship was present between SLC and tubular function in IDDM patients without complications. Excretion rates of different proteins appear to be interrelated and, in IDDM, β-NAG excretion is associated with glycaemic control.