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Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice
Published on: May 2, 2025
Chronic kidney disease and the foot in diabetes--is inflammation the missing link?
F L Game1, N M Selby, C W McIntyre
1Department of Diabetes, Derby Hospitals NHS Trust, Derby, UK. fgame@futu.co.uk
Insights
Diabetic kidney disease (CKD) increases risks for foot disease and amputation. This study explores if foot ulcers may also worsen or cause CKD through inflammation and sepsis.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Diabetology
- Vascular Surgery
Background:
- Diabetes mellitus frequently leads to chronic kidney disease (CKD).
- Diabetic foot disease is also common and associated with increased risks in CKD patients, especially those on renal replacement therapy.
- The heightened risk of foot disease in CKD patients may begin before end-stage renal disease necessitates renal replacement therapy.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the bidirectional relationship between diabetic foot disease and chronic kidney disease.
- To explore the potential contribution of foot ulcers to the development or progression of CKD.
Main Methods:
- This study is a discussion and review of existing literature and proposed mechanisms.
- It examines the impact of dialysis on tissue hypoxia in CKD patients.
- It considers the role of sepsis and chronic inflammation from foot ulcers in CKD progression.
Main Results:
- Patients with CKD have a significantly higher risk of developing diabetic foot disease and undergoing major amputation.
- The risk for foot disease appears to increase even before patients require renal replacement therapy.
- Foot ulcers may contribute to CKD development or progression via recurrent sepsis or chronic inflammation.
Conclusions:
- The interplay between diabetic foot disease and CKD is complex and warrants further investigation.
- Foot ulcers could be an independent risk factor for CKD progression.
- Understanding this relationship may lead to improved management strategies for diabetic patients with kidney disease.
Abstract:
Diabetes is commonly complicated by the development of chronic kidney disease (CKD). Equally prevalent is the development of diabetic foot disease and it is now recognised that there is a higher risk of the development of foot disease and major amputation in those patients with CKD. This is particularly marked in those patients with end-stage kidney disease receiving renal replacement therapy for which there are many possible mechanisms, including the effect of dialysis on tissue hypoxia. What has been recognised recently is that the risk of the development of foot disease appears to start prior to the onset of renal replacement therapy. Whilst this may be due to the fact that the emphasis of care shifts towards the requirements of the patients' renal disease, here we discuss the possibility that the presence of a foot ulcer itself may contribute to the development or progression of CKD through repeated episodes of sepsis or chronic inflammation, or both.
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