Normoalbuminuric chronic kidney disease in diabetes

SGLT2 inhibitors and kidneys: mechanisms and main effects in diabetes mellitus patients

Type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) is the cause of the development of diabetic nephropathy — a complication that determines the high degree of disability and mortality of such patients. Until recently, approaches to normalizing glucose levels did not have a significant possibility of influencing the outcome of kidney damage in diabetes. Type 2 sodium glucose cotransporter inhibitors (SGLT2) are a new class of glucose-lowering drugs that improve glycemic control due to an insulin-independent mechanism of action associated with increased urinary glucose excretion. The review provides an analysis of the results of studies on the assessment of nephroprotective actions — one of the pleiotropic actions of this drugs group. These materials show the properties of SGLT2 inhibitors to reduce the risk of developing and the progression of albuminuria, to save glomerular filtration rate, to reduce the frequency of end-stage renal disease and the need for renal replacement therapy in patients with T2DM. The article gives and analyzes the currently existing hypotheses of the mechanism of action of these glucose-lowering drugs. The risk of the most common renal complications with the use of SGLT2 inhibitors is considered. The practical aspects of the use of SGLT2 inhibitors in modern algorithms for the care of patients with T2DM are indicated, as well as the prospects for new randomized clinical trials. 

Vascular inflammation, atherosclerosis, and lipid metabolism and the occurrence of non-high albuminuria diabetic kidney disease: A cross-sectional study

AIM

Atherosclerosis involves vascular endothelial damage and lipid metabolism disorder, which is closely related to the occurrence and development of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). However, studies on non-high albuminuria DKD (NHADKD) with an albumin to creatinine ratio (ACR) <30 mg/g are rare. This study is to investigate the relationship between atherogenic factors and the occurrence of NHADKD.

METHODS

Serum lipid indicators, lipoprotein-associated phospholipase A2 (Lip-PLA2) and homocysteine levels were measured in 1116 subjects to analyze their relationship with NHADKD.

RESULTS

Among all subjects, Lip-PLA2 had the closest but relatively weak correlation with ACR (r = 0.297, p < 0.001) and only homocysteine was moderately correlated with eGFR (r = -0.465, p < 0.001). However, in patients with NHADKD, these atherosclerotic factors were weakly correlated or uncorrelated with eGFR (max. |r| = 0.247). Stratified risk analysis showed that when ACR was <10 mg/g, homocysteine [OR = 6.97(4.07-11.95)], total cholesterol (total-Chol) [OR = 6.04(3.03-12.04)], and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-Chol) [OR = 5.09(2.99-8.64)] were risk factors for NHADKD. There was no significant difference of OR between these three factors (Z = 0.430-1.044, all p > 0.05). When ACR was ⩾10mg/g, homocysteine [OR = 17.26(9.67-30.82)] and total-Chol [OR = 5.63(2.95-10.76)] were risk factors for NHADKD, and ORhomocysteine was significantly higher than ORtotal-Chol (Z = 3.023, p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The occurrence of NHADKD may be related to the levels of homocysteine, total-Chol, HDL-Chol, and Lip-PLA2 in blood. Among them, homocysteine may be most closely related to NHADKD.