Evaluation of high sensitivity C-reactive protein and glycated hemoglobin levels in diabetic nephropathy

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is one of the major long-term complications of diabetes mellitus (DM). Type 2 DM is frequently associated with an inflammatory status, but limited information is available on the relationship between low-grade inflammation and DN. The aim of the study is to determine the serum level of high sensitivity C-reactive protein (hsCRP) in DN patients and to compare with that of normal subjects and to study the association between serum hsCRP levels and glycated hemoglobin (HbA1c) levels. Fifty DN patients in the age group of 50- 60 years with more than ten years of duration of diabetes were recruited for this study and 25 age-and sex-matched healthy subjects were included in this study as controls. Serum hsCRP levels were measured by turbidometry method. There was a statistically significant increase in serum hsCRP levels in DN cases as compared to normal controls. The hsCRP levels showed a positive correlation with HbA1c in DN. These results suggest that estimation of serum hsCRP levels and aiming at good glycemic control help in early intervention and prevention of further com-plications in diabetic patients.