Diabetic kidney disease is a microvascular complication of diabetes mellitus and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease resulting in renal replacement therapy. Approximately 30% to 40% of diabetic patients have diabetic kidney disease, which contributes to a significant increase in morbidity and mortality. Microalbuminuria is considered the gold standard for diabetic kidney disease diagnosis; however, its predictive value is restricted. Although blood glucose control, blood pressure control, and angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors have been the primary treatment strategies, there are no definitive treatment modalities capable of inhibiting the progression of kidney dysfunction in these patients. This study was undertaken to answer seven questions regarding the various aspects of diabetic kidney disease. Why does it develop? what kind of factors affect its development? How is it diagnosed? What are its possible biomarkers? When is a kidney biopsy necessary? What are the preventive and therapeutic options? And what are the novel treatments?
Angiotensin-Converting Enzyme Inhibitors ; Biomarkers ; Biopsy ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Diabetes Mellitus ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diagnosis ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Mortality ; Renal Replacement Therapy

PURPOSE: To investigate the risk factors of diabetic nephropathy in patients with diabetic retinopathy requiring panretinal photocoagulation (PRP) and the visual prognosis. METHODS: A retrospective review of electronic medical records was conducted at Seoul St. Mary's Hospital, comprising 103 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and diabetic retinopathy who underwent PRP from 1996 to 2005. Patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus, non-diabetic renal disease, non-diabetic retinal disease, visually significant ocular disease, high-risk proliferative diabetic retinopathy, and advanced diabetic retinopathy were excluded. The patients were divided into three groups: no nephropathy (group 1, n = 45), microalbuminuria (group 2, n = 16), and advanced nephropathy (group 3, n = 42). Duration of diagnosis of retinopathy and nephropathy, glycosylated hemoglobin, visual acuity, complications, and treatment history were investigated. RESULTS: The mean glycosylated hemoglobin of group 3 (8.4 ± 1.2) was higher than that of group 1 (7.7 ± 1.0) or group 2 (7.7 ± 1.0) (p = 0.04). Mean interval from PRP to diagnosis of nephropathy was 8.8 ± 6.0 years in group 2 and 8.7 ± 4.9 years in group 3. The significant decrease in visual acuity in group 3 (28 eyes, 35.9%) was significantly higher than that in group 1 (15 eyes, 18.1%, p = 0.01) or group 2 (6 eyes, 20.7%, p = 0.03). Only vitreous hemorrhage showed a significantly higher incidence in groups 2 and 3 than in group 1 (p = 0.02). Multivariate regression analysis revealed that female sex and lower glycosylated hemoglobin were significantly associated with a protective effect on development of nephropathy. CONCLUSIONS: In the clinical setting, many patients with PRP-requiring diabetic retinopathy develop nephropathy an average of 8 to 9 years after PRP. Male sex and higher glycosylated hemoglobin could be risk factors of nephropathy.
Diabetes Mellitus, Type 1 ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Diagnosis ; Electronic Health Records ; Female ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated ; Humans ; Incidence ; Light Coagulation ; Male ; Prognosis ; Retinal Diseases ; Retrospective Studies ; Risk Factors ; Seoul ; Visual Acuity ; Vitreous Hemorrhage

ObjectiveDiabetic kidney disease (DKD) has become one of the major causes of end-stage renal disease. Urinary extracellular vesicles (uEVs) contain rich biological information which could be the ideal source for noninvasive biomarkers of DKD. This review discussed the potential early diagnostic and therapeutic values of proteins and microRNAs in uEVs in DKD.

Data SourcesThis review was based articles published in PubMed, Embase, Cochrane, and Google Scholar databases up to November 20, 2017, with the following keywords: "Diabetic kidney disease", "Extracellular vesicle", and "Urine".

Study SelectionRelevant articles were carefully reviewed, with no exclusions applied to the study design and publication type.

ResultsThere is no "gold standard" technology to separate and/or purify uEVs. The uEVs contain a variety of proteins and RNAs and participate in the physiological and pathological processes of the kidney. UEVs, especially urinary exosomes, may be useful biomarkers for early diagnosis and treatment to DKD. Furthermore, the uEVs has been used as a therapeutic target for DKD.

ConclusionProteins and nucleic acids in uEVs represent promising biomarker for the diagnosis and treatment of DKD.

Studies investigating diabetic nephropathy (DN) have mostly focused on interpreting the pathologic molecular mechanisms of DN, which may provide valuable tools for early diagnosis and prevention of disease onset and progression. Currently, there are few therapeutic drugs for DN, which mainly consist of antihypertensive and antiproteinuric measures that arise from strict renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inactivation. However, these traditional therapies are suboptimal and there is a clear, unmet need for treatments that offer effective schemes beyond glucose control. The complexity and heterogeneity of the DN entity, along with ambiguous renal endpoints that may deter accurate appraisal of new drug potency, contribute to a worsening of the situation. To address these issues, current research into original therapies to treat DN is focusing on the intrinsic renal pathways that intervene with intracellular signaling of anti-inflammatory, antifibrotic, and metabolic pathways. Mounting evidence in support of the favorable metabolic effects of these novel agents with respect to the renal aspects of DN supports the likelihood of systemic beneficial effects as well. Thus, when translated into clinical use, these novel agents would also address the comorbid factors associated with diabetes, such as obesity and risk of cardiovascular disease. This review will provide a discussion of the promising and effective therapeutic agents for the management of DN.
AMP-Activated Protein Kinases ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Early Diagnosis ; Glucose ; Incretins ; Metabolic Networks and Pathways ; Obesity ; Population Characteristics ; Renin-Angiotensin System

Diabetic nephropathy is a chronic microvascular complication of type 2 diabetes and the leading cause of end-stage renal disease. We report the case of a 34-year-old male, newly diagnosed with type 2 diabetes mellitus, who had advanced-stage nephropathy with glomerular crescents. A moderately-to-severely decreased glomerular filtration rate with nephrotic syndrome was seen at the time of diagnosis of diabetes. Proliferative diabetic retinopathy was detected, but there was no positive finding in serology tests for glomerulonephritis. Non-necrotizing cellular crescents and nodular glomerulosclerosis were observed in a kidney biopsy, and renal function declined rapidly to the end stage. We review data on diabetic glomerulosclerosis with cellular crescents and the rapid progression of nephropathy.
Adult ; Biopsy ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2 ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Diabetic Retinopathy ; Diagnosis ; Disease Progression ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Glomerulonephritis ; Humans ; Kidney ; Kidney Failure, Chronic* ; Male ; Nephrotic Syndrome ; Pathology

PURPOSE: The purpose of this study was to understand the situation of diabetes patients receiving examinations for diabetes complications and to explore the factors influencing their intention to receive examinations for diabetes complications. METHODS: A cross-sectional study was performed that included 251 diabetes patients who visited outpatient clinics in Southern Taiwan. A survey using a self-administered questionnaire was conducted from October 2015 to January 2016. The questionnaire included items on demographic characteristics, perceived susceptibility to diabetes complications, perceived seriousness of diabetes complications, perceived benefits of taking action to receive diabetes complication examinations, perceived barriers to taking action to receive diabetes complication examinations, and the intention to receive diabetes complication examinations. The data were analyzed using regression analysis. RESULTS: The percentage of participants who received fundus, foot, and kidney examinations was 67.7%, 61.4%, and 73.3%, respectively. Every point increase on the perceived barriers to taking action to receive diabetes complication examinations scale increased the intention to receive a foot examination in the following year by 0.91 times (p = .002), and every point increase on the perceived susceptibility to diabetes complications scale increased the intention to receive a kidney examination in the following year by 1.19 times (p = .045). CONCLUSIONS: Nurses should shoulder the responsibility to increase patients' intention to receive examination of diabetes complications. The results of this study can be used to promote nurses' care efficacy in preventing diabetes complications. They can also provide medical institutions with information to establish prevention and control policies for diabetes complications.
Ambulatory Care/utilization ; Cross-Sectional Studies ; Diabetic Angiopathies/nursing/*prevention & control/psychology ; Diabetic Nephropathies/nursing/*prevention & control/psychology ; Disease Susceptibility/psychology ; Early Diagnosis ; Female ; Humans ; Intention ; Kidney Function Tests ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nurse-Patient Relations ; Ophthalmoscopy ; Patient Acceptance of Health Care/*psychology ; Perception ; Physical Examination/nursing/*psychology/utilization ; Taiwan

Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem that affects millions of people from all racial and ethnic groups. Although CKD is not one specific disease, it is a comprehensive syndrome that includes IgA nephropathy. As reported by the Japanese Society of Nephrology, 13.0 million people have CKD. In Japan, major causes of end-stage kidney disease are type 2 diabetic nephropathy, chronic glomerulonephritis, especially IgA nephropathy, hypertensive nephrosclerosis, and polycystic kidney disease. IgA nephropathy is characterized by polymeric IgA1 with aberrant galactosylation (galactose-deficient IgA1) increased in the blood and deposited in the glomerular mesangial areas, as well as partially in the capillary walls. The tonsils are important as one of the responsible regions in this disease. The clarification of the mechanism of galactose-deficient IgA1 production will pave the way for the development of novel therapies. The results of future research are eagerly awaited. At present, the most important therapeutic goals in patients with IgA nephropathy are the control of hypertension, the decrease of urinary protein excretion, and the inhibition of progression to end-stage kidney disease. Several investigators have reported that renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system inhibitors reduce levels of urinary protein excretion and preserve renal function in patients with IgA nephropathy. In Japan, tonsillectomy and steroid pulse therapy are more effective for patients with IgA nephropathy.
Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Capillaries ; Diabetic Nephropathies ; Diagnosis* ; Ethnic Groups ; Glomerulonephritis ; Glomerulonephritis, IGA* ; Humans ; Hypertension ; Immunoglobulin A* ; Japan* ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Nephrology ; Nephrosclerosis ; Palatine Tonsil ; Polycystic Kidney Diseases ; Polymers ; Public Health ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Research Personnel ; Tonsillectomy

OBJECTIVES: Smoking is known to be associated with nephropathy in patients with diabetes. The distinct effects of smoking before and after diabetes has been diagnosed, however, are not well characterized. We evaluated the association of cigarette smoking before and after a diagnosis of diabetes with the presence of diabetic nephropathy. METHODS: We analyzed data from the 2011-2013 editions of the Korea National Health and Nutrition Examination Survey. A total of 629 male patients diagnosed with diabetes were classified as non-smokers (90 patients), former smokers (225 patients), or continuing smokers (314 patients). A "former smoker" was a patient who smoked only before receiving his diagnosis of diabetes. A "continuing smoker" was a patient who smoked at any time after his diabetes had been diagnosed. Diabetic nephropathy was defined as the presence of albuminuria (spot urine albumin/creatinine ratio ≥30 mg/g) or low estimated glomerular filtration rate (<60 mL/min/1.73 m2). Multiple logistic regression models were used to assess the independent association after adjusting for age, duration of diabetes, hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, systolic blood pressure, medication for hypertension, and medication for dyslipidemia. Female patients were excluded from the study due to the small proportion of females in the survey who smoked. RESULTS: Compared to non-smokers, continuing smokers had significantly higher odds ratio ([OR], 2.17; 95% confidence interval [CI], 1.23 to 3.83) of suffering from diabetic nephropathy. The corresponding OR (95% CI) for former smokers was 1.26 (0.70 to 2.29). CONCLUSIONS: Smoking after diagnosis of diabetes is significantly associated with the presence of diabetic nephropathy in the Korean male population.
Aged ; Albumins/analysis ; Asian Continental Ancestry Group ; Blood Pressure ; Body Mass Index ; Creatinine/urine ; Diabetes Mellitus, Type 2/complications/*diagnosis ; Diabetic Nephropathies/epidemiology/*etiology ; Female ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Hemoglobin A, Glycosylated/analysis ; Humans ; Logistic Models ; Male ; Middle Aged ; Nutrition Surveys ; Odds Ratio ; Prevalence ; Republic of Korea ; Smoking/*adverse effects

Diabetes is often associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) and is the primary cause of kidney failure in half of patients who receive dialysis therapy. Given the increasing prevalence of diabetes and its high morbidity and mortality, diabetic nephropathy is a serious drawback in individual patients and a tremendous socioeconomic burden on society. Despite growing concern for the management of diabetic nephropathy, the prevalence of CKD with diabetes is the same today as it was 20 years ago. The current strategy to manage diabetic nephropathy, including the control of hyperglycemia, dyslipidemia, and blood pressure and the wide-spread use of renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors, is well established to be beneficial in the early stages of diabetic nephropathy. However, the effects are uncertain in patients with relatively progressed CKD. Therefore, early diagnosis or risk verification is extremely important in order to reduce the individual and socioeconomic burdens associated with diabetic nephropathy by providing appropriate management to prevent the development and progression of this condition. This review focuses on recent research and guidelines regarding risk assessment, advances in medical treatment, and challenges of and future treatments for diabetic nephropathy.
Albuminuria ; Blood Pressure ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Dialysis ; Dyslipidemias ; Early Diagnosis* ; Glomerular Filtration Rate ; Humans ; Hyperglycemia ; Mortality ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; Risk Assessment

Diabetic nephropathy is the leading cause of end-stage renal disease, and is associated with increased risk of cardiovascular disease. Optimal control of blood glucose and blood pressure based on the blockade of renin-angiotensin system is the standard of care for the prevention and treatment of diabetic nephropathy. Regardless of these therapies, the prevalence of diabetic nephropathy continues to increase, highlighting the need for additional therapies. Diabetes affects the progression of kidney disease through a variety of mechanisms; several new therapeutic agents targeting these pathways have been developed, with currently being evaluated in clinical trials.
Albuminuria ; Blood Glucose ; Blood Pressure ; Cardiovascular Diseases ; Diabetic Nephropathies* ; Diagnosis ; Kidney Diseases ; Kidney Failure, Chronic ; Prevalence ; Renal Insufficiency, Chronic ; Renin-Angiotensin System ; Standard of Care