Expression of Angiopoetin-Like Protein-4 and Kidney Injury Molecule-1 as Preliminary Diagnostic Markers for Diabetes-Related Kidney Disease: A Single Center-Based Cross-Sectional Study

The purpose of the study was to examine the urinary levels of kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) and angiopoietin-like protein-4 (ANGPTL-4) in individuals with diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and their association with established DKD diagnostic markers such as albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). Levels of ANGPTL-4 and KIM-1 were estimated in urine samples. A total of 135 participants were recruited into three groups: 45 diabetes type 2 patients in the control group and 90 DKD patients in two disease groups. Concentrations of ANGPTL-4 and KIM-1 were conclusively related to the urinary albumin–creatinine ratio (UACR). Also, the levels of both ANGPTL-4 and KIM-1 were negatively associated with the eGFR. Multivariable Poisson regression analysis showed that urinary ANGPTL-4 (PR: 3.40; 95% CI: 2.32 to 4.98; p < 0.001) and KIM-1 (PR: 1.25; 95% CI: 1.14 to 1.38; p < 0.001) were prevalent in DKD patients. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis of urinary ANGPTL-4 and KIM-1 in the combined form resulted in an area under curve (AUC) of 0.967 (95%CI: 0.932–1.000; p < 0.0001) in the microalbuminuria group and 1 (95%CI: 1.000–1.000; p < 0.0001) in the macroalbuminuria group. The association of urinary levels of ANGPTL-4 and KIM-1 with UACR and eGFR and significant prevalence in the diabetic kidney disease population illustrates the diagnostic potential of these biomarkers.