Tubular markers do not predict the decline in glomerular filtration rate in type 1 diabetic patients with overt nephropathy.
Recent studies have shown that both glomerular and tubulointerstitial damage are important factors in the pathophysiology and progression of diabetic nephropathy. To examine whether markers of tubular damage are useful in monitoring the progression of disease, we measured urinary levels of neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), liver-fatty acid-binding protein (LFABP), and kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) in a 3-year intervention study of 63 type 1 diabetic patients with kidney disease. The baseline mean glomerular filtration rate (GFR) was 87 ml/min per 1.73 m(2) and urinary albumin excretion 1141 mg/24 h. Patients with the highest compared with the lowest quartile of urinary N…