Diabetic nephropathy (DN) and non-diabetic renal diseases (NDRD) represent intricate challenges in diagnosis and treatment within the context of the global diabetes epidemic. As the prevalence of diabetes continues to escalate, effective management of renal complications becomes paramount. Recent advancements in comprehending the multifaceted nature of renal damage, fueled by insights from histopathological investigations, offer unprecedented prospects for refining diagnostic strategies and customizing therapeutic interventions. Renal biopsies have emerged as indispensable tools for unraveling the diverse phenotypes of renal damage in diabetes. The pioneering study by Mazzucco identified three classes of renal damage in type 2 diabetes patients: classical diabetic glomerulosclerosis (DN), vascular and ischemic glomerular changes (NDRD), and other glomerulonephritides in the presence (DN + NDRD, mixed forms) or absence of DN (NDRD). The prevalence of these classes varies widely in published studies, influenced by factors such as ethnicity, geography and selection criteria for renal biopsy. Moreover, the international Renal Pathology Society consensus classification system has stratified the classical diabetic nephropathy into progressive categories of renal impairment, a breakthrough that aids in prognostication. Histopathological scrutiny, particularly the intricate correlation between glomerular and tubulointerstitial lesions, contributes profoundly to enhancing our grasp of the phenotype's heterogeneity. This amplified comprehension holds the potential to steer personalized treatment strategies. Cutting-edge interventions, encompassing sodium-glucose cotransporter 2 inhibitors, mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists and anti-endothelin receptor agents, are broadening the arsenal against renal injury in diabetes. When combined with the profound insights garnered from histopathological, omics, imaging and clinical data, these therapeutic avenues promise a transformative shift towards precision-driven care paradigms. Collaborative efforts uniting researchers, clinicians and patients are indispensable for propelling our knowledge of diabetic renal damage and ameliorating patient outcomes. The fusion of histopathological, omics and imaging findings into clinical decision-making harbors the potential to customize interventions and optimize care for individuals grappling with diabetes-associated renal complications. Furthermore, groundbreaking initiatives like the iBeat Study within the BEAt-DKD (Biomarker Enterprise to Attack Diabetic Kidney Disease) project (https://www.beat-dkd.eu/), elucidating distinct phenotypes of renal damage within diabetes, underscore the imperative necessity of integrating histopathological data into the broader framework of diabetic renal management.
Keywords: chronic kidney disease; classification; diabetes; phenotypes; precision medicine.
© The Author(s) 2023. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the ERA.