Diabetic nephropathy

Abstract

Diabetic nephropathy is a clinical syndrome in a patient with diabetes mellitus that is characterized by persistent albuminuria, worsening proteinuria, hypertension, and progressive renal failure (1,2). Approximately a third of patients with type 1 insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (IDDM) and type 2 non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus (NIDDM) develop diabetic nephropathy (2). The pathologic hallmark of diabetic nephropathy is diabetic glomerulosclerosis that results from a progressive increase in extracellular matrix in the glomerular mesangium and glomerular basement membranes. Diabetic glomerulosclerosis is the leading cause of endstage renal disease in the United States, Europe, and Japan (1). © 2007 Springer New York.