The purpose of this study was to assess the role of urinary IgG, serum CX3CL1 and miRNA 152-3p levels as predictors of nephropathy in type 2 Egyptian diabetic patients. Sixty type 2 diabetic patients and twenty healthy controls were enrolled in a cross-sectional study. Then they were grouped into: three groups based upon urine albumin excretion (UAE). The expression of miRNA 152-3p in serum was measured using quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RTq-PCR). Serum CX3CL1 and urinary IgG concentrations were measured by ELISA. RTq-PCR revealed that serum miRNA-152-3p levels in patients were significantly higher than in controls. There was significant differences between group with normoalbuminuria and groups with diabetic nephropathy DN as regard to age, duration of nephropathy, Albumin/Creatinine ratio (A/C ratio), creatinine, urine IgG, CX3CL1 and HbA1c. In diabetic patients, there was a significant positive correlation between miRNA-152-3p levels and disease duration only as well as significant positive correlations between urinary IgG levels and age, disease duration, serum creatinine, A/C ratio, and urea. Positive correlation between serum fractalkine CX3CL1 level and age, duration of disease, urea, creatinine, A/C ratio, HbA1C and IgG in patient with DN. Serum CX3CL1 level, urinary IgG were significantly increased with the progress of nephropathy so these integrated biomarkers could be used as good predictors for early identification of nephropathy. But miRNA- 152-3p has inadequate prognostic indicator for ESRD progression.
Keywords: Albuminuria; CX3CL1; Diabetic nephropathy; Fractalkine; Urinary IgG; miRNA 152-3p.