Issue: 2025, Vol. 30, No. 4
PODOCIN AS A MARKER OF CHRONIC KIDNEY DAMAGE IN PREDIABETIC PATIENTS
- Keywords
- podocin, prediabetes, early renal damage
- Abstarct
- Objective – to assess podocin levels in patients with prediabetes and characterize its prognostic role in the development of early renal injury. Material and Мethods. 66 patients with carbohydrate metabolism disorders, a mean age being 45.4 ± 6.1 years, were involved in the main group. The mean body mass index was 31.8 ± 5.9 kg/m², which corresponds to obesity. 53.0 % of participants had impaired fasting glycemia, and 37.9% had impaired glucose tolerance. 27.3 % of patients had HbA1c levels in the range of 5.7–6.4 % and were considered as the comparison group. Urine was tested for microalbuminuria, creatinine levels being determined by standard methods followed by the calculation of the glomerular filtration rate by the MDRD formula. The concentration of podocin, as well as cystatin C in urine and plasma, was measured using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) with “IFA-Best” test systems (JSC “Vector-Best”, Russia). Results and Discussion. High sensitivity of podocin to initial pathological changes in the kidneys of patients with prediabetes was observed. The cut-off level of podocin was determined to be 0.162 ng/ml; the excess of this value predicted a high risk of developing microalbuminuria in patients with prediabetes. Conclusion. The conducted analysis opens new perspectives for early diagnosis and preventive measures concerning the verification of early renal damage in carbohydrate metabolism disorders. Moreover, the monitoring of podocyturia appeared to be a measure of effective risk management of renal damage and its progression in this patient category.
Quid Est Veritas_4_2025-29-35