Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a highly prevalent condition worldwide. It represents one of the most common complications arising from diabetes mellitus (DM) and is the leading cause of end-stage kidney disease (ESKD). Its development involves three fundamental components: the hemodynamic, metabolic, and inflammatory axes. Clinically, persistent albuminuria in association with a progressive decline in glomerular filtration rate (GFR) defines this disease. However, as these alterations are not specific to DKD, there is a need to discuss novel biomarkers arising from its pathogenesis which may aid in the diagnosis, follow-up, therapeutic response, and prognosis of the disease.
Keywords: biomarkers; diabetes mellitus; diabetic kidney disease; pathogenesis.