Related Experiment Video

Updated: Aug 18, 2025

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice
10:31

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice

Published on: May 2, 2025

266

Mendelian randomization study supports the causal association between serum cystatin C and risk of diabetic

Baiyu Feng1, Yu Lu2, Lin Ye1

  • 1Department of Nephrology, Hunan Key Laboratory of Kidney Disease and Blood Purification, Institute of Nephrology, The Second Xiangya Hospital at Central South University, Changsha, China.

Frontiers in Endocrinology
|December 9, 2022
PubMed

Insights

Cystatin C is a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy, independent of BMI and SBP. Targeting cystatin C may offer a potential therapy for diabetic kidney disease.

Area of Science:

  • Biochemistry
  • Genetics
  • Nephrology

Background:

  • Cystatin C, a cysteine protease inhibitor, is used to estimate glomerular filtration rate.
  • The causal link between cystatin C and diabetic nephropathy is not fully understood.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the causal effect of cystatin C on diabetic nephropathy using Mendelian randomization.
  • To assess the mediation effects of BMI and SBP on this relationship.

Main Methods:

  • Mendelian randomization (MR) analysis was employed.
  • 234 genetic variants served as instrumental variables for cystatin C.
  • Multivariable MR (MVMR) and two-step MR were used to assess stability and mediation.

Main Results:

  • Cystatin C showed a causal association with diabetic nephropathy (IVW OR: 1.36).
  • This causal effect persisted after adjusting for BMI and SBP (OR: 1.17).
  • BMI was identified as a potential mediator.

Conclusions:

  • Cystatin C is an independent risk factor for diabetic nephropathy in diabetic patients.
  • Further research is needed to elucidate mechanisms and explore cystatin C-targeted therapies.
Abstract

Keywords:
Mendelian randomizationbiomarkercystatin Cdiabetic nephropathyglomerular filtration rate

More Related Videos

Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing ChIP-seq09:52

Generation of High Quality Chromatin Immunoprecipitation DNA Template for High-throughput Sequencing ChIP-seq

Published on: April 19, 2013

24.5K
Candidate Gene Testing in Clinical Cohort Studies with Multiplexed Genotyping and Mass Spectrometry05:53

Candidate Gene Testing in Clinical Cohort Studies with Multiplexed Genotyping and Mass Spectrometry

Published on: June 21, 2018

10.2K

Related Concept Videos

Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests01:24

Serum Studies: Renal Function Tests

Renal function tests are crucial for assessing kidney health, monitoring disease progression, and evaluating the kidneys' efficiency in waste elimination, fluid balance, and electrolyte regulation. These tests offer critical insights into kidney function, even though routine measurements may appear normal until there is a significant decline in the glomerular filtration rate or GFR. Typically, signs of kidney impairment only become evident when the GFR falls to about 50% of its normal level.
33
Study Designs in Epidemiology01:20

Study Designs in Epidemiology

Epidemiological study designs are fundamental tools for investigating the distribution, determinants, and control of health conditions in populations. They help researchers understand the relationships between exposures and outcomes, and they broadly fall into two categories: "observational" and "experimental" studies.
Observational studies are those where the researcher does not intervene but rather observes natural variations. They include cross-sectional, cohort, and...
345
Urinary Tract Calculi I: Introduction01:28

Urinary Tract Calculi I: Introduction

Renal calculi, or kidney stones, are solid deposits of minerals and salts formed inside the kidneys. In medical terminology, "calculus" refers to the stone itself, while "lithiasis" describes the process of stone formation. Depending on their location within the urinary system, these stones may be classified as either urolithiasis, when situated within the urinary tract, or nephrolithiasis, when located within the kidneys. Each term signifies the specific impact of the stone.Predisposition...
24
Nephrotic Syndrome II : Assessment and Medical Management01:26

Nephrotic Syndrome II : Assessment and Medical Management

IntroductionNephrotic syndrome is a kidney disorder marked by excessive protein loss in the urine, leading to various systemic complications. This condition often results from damage to the glomeruli—the kidney's filtering units—causing proteinuria, low blood protein levels, and fluid retention. Understanding the assessment, diagnosis, and management of nephrotic syndrome is essential for effective treatment and prevention of further kidney damage.AssessmentPatient History: Document...
16
Randomized Experiments01:13

Randomized Experiments

The randomization process involves assigning study participants randomly to experimental or control groups based on their probability of being equally assigned. Randomization is meant to eliminate selection bias and balance known and unknown confounding factors so that the control group is similar to the treatment group as much as possible. A computer program and a random number generator can be used to assign participants to groups in a way that minimizes bias.
Simple randomization
Simple...
7.1K
Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS01:11

Genome-wide Association Studies-GWAS

Genome-wide association studies or GWAS are used to identify whether common SNPs are associated with certain diseases. Suppose specific SNPs are more frequently observed in individuals with a particular disease than those without the disease. In that case, those SNPs are said to be associated with the disease. Chi-square analysis is performed to check the probability of the allele likely to be associated with the disease.
GWAS does not require the identification of the target gene involved in...
13.9K