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Updated: Aug 5, 2026

Assessment of Kidney Function in Mouse Models of Glomerular Disease
Published on: June 30, 2018
Podocyte structural parameters do not predict progression to diabetic nephropathy in normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic
Tasma Harindhanavudhi1, Alicia Parks, Michael Mauer
1Departmentsof Medicine, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, Minn., USA.
Background:
Podocyte injury has been implicated in diabetic nephropathy (DN) ranging from normoalbuminuria to proteinuria in both type 1 and type 2 diabetes.
Methods:
To determine whether podocyte structural parameters predict DN risk in initially normoalbuminuric long-standing type 1 diabetic patients, we performed a nested case-control study in sex and diabetes duration-matched progressors (progression to proteinuria or ESRD, n = 10), non-progressors (normoalbuminuric at follow-up, n = 10), and non-diabetic controls (n = 10).
Results:
HbA1c and diastolic blood pressure were higher in progressors versus non-progressors. Podocyte number per glomerulus, numerical density of podocyte per glomerulus, and foot process width were not different among groups. The glomerular basement membrane width was greater in progressors versus non-progressors or controls, and in non-progressors versus controls. As expected, the mesangial fractional volume was greater in progressors and non-progressors versus controls, with no differences between progressors and non-progressors.
Conclusion:
This study does not indicate that podocyte structural changes are preconditions for later DN progression in initially normoalbuminuric type 1 diabetic patients. However, this does not preclude an important role for podocyte injury at a later stage of DN.
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