Early Biomarkers for Diagnosing Nephropathy in Type 2 Diabetics

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a significant microvascular complication of Diabetes Mellitus that can progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The severity of DN is typically assessed using the albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR), but this method has limitations in terms of sensitivity and specificity. Therefore, identifying novel biomarkers for the early detection of DN is essential for improving patient outcomes.One promising candidate is uromodulin, a kidney-specific protein predominantly synthesized in the thick ascending limb of Henle's loop. Recent studies suggest that urinary uromodulin levels and the expression of uromodulin mRNA in urinary exosomes (a subpopulation of extracellular vesicles) could serve as potential biomarkers for DN in patients with type 2 diabetes. This study aimed to evaluate the role of urinary uromodulin and its exosomal UMOD mRNA gene expression as early biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy in this patient population.