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Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice
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Implication of decreased serum complement 3 in patients with diabetic nephropathy

Junlin Zhang1, Yiting Wang1, Rui Zhang1

  • 1Division of Nephrology, West China Hospital of Sichuan University, No. 37, Guoxue Alley, Chengdu, 610041, Sichuan Province, China.

Acta Diabetologica
|October 19, 2017
PubMed

Insights

Low serum complement 3 (C3) levels in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with diabetic nephropathy (DN) correlate with worse kidney function and outcomes. However, C3 levels are not an independent predictor of disease progression.

Area of Science:

  • Nephrology
  • Endocrinology
  • Immunology

Background:

  • Reduced serum complement 3 (C3) is observed in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) with diabetic nephropathy (DN).
  • The clinical significance of decreased C3 levels in DN patients remains unclear.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between serum C3 levels and baseline characteristics.
  • To evaluate the prognostic value of serum C3 levels in T2DM patients with DN.

Main Methods:

  • 171 T2DM patients with biopsy-proven DN were analyzed.
  • Patients were grouped by serum C3 levels: decreased (<90 mg/dl) vs. normal (≥90 mg/dl).
  • Renal outcomes (end-stage renal disease or doubling of serum creatinine) were assessed using Cox regression.

Main Results:

  • Decreased C3 group showed more severe renal insufficiency and glomerular damage.
  • Higher rates of adverse renal outcomes were observed in the decreased C3 group (68.0% vs. 37.5%).
  • Univariate analysis indicated decreased C3 as a risk factor (HR 1.897), but multivariate analysis showed it was not an independent predictor after adjusting for clinical and pathological factors.

Conclusions:

  • Decreased serum C3 is linked to more severe renal disease and poorer outcomes in T2DM with DN.
  • Serum C3 level did not emerge as an independent risk factor for renal disease progression in this cohort.
Abstract

Keywords:
Complement activationDiabetic nephropathyRenal outcomeSerum C3 level

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