KIM-1 as an early indicator of impairment of the kidneys in Diabetic Nephropathy

Abstract

Introduction: Diabetic kidney disease, or DKD, is a very common ailment all over the world. It is the main cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD) and one of the most common consequences of diabetes mellitus (DM). To replace the gold standard biomarker, the uACR there is a need to find useful biomarkers that can forecast the early development of DN to detect this clinical entity. Material & Methods: The study enrolled 121 diagnosed patients of Diabetes Mellitus II with microalbuminuria (DN), 121 with Diabetes mellitus II (DM II), and 121 with healthy controls. Laboratory investigations performed were FPG, PPG, HbA1c, Creatinine, KIM-1, eGFR, and uACR. Results: Significantly higher average levels of FPG, PPG, HbA1c, Creatinine, uACR, and KIM-1 were found in patients compared to the control group. The decrease in mean eGFR was also significant in DN than DM. There was a positive correlation between serum KIM-1 levels and uACR, unlike in patients with DM II and controls. Conclusion: The results suggest that KIM-1 can be considered a valuable biomarker for the early detection of DN in T2DM patients.

Keywords: kidney injury molecule 1 (KIM-1)); diabetic nephropathy; eGFR, uACR