Shear wave elastography in early diabetic kidney disease

OBJECTIVE: This study aimed to analyze the kidneys among the subjects with early stages of type 2 diabetic kidney disease by shear wave elastography quantitatively. METHODS: A total of 108 patients with type 2 diabetic kidney disease and 17 control subjects were enrolled. According to the estimated glomerular filtration rate and urinary albumin-to-urinary creatinine ratio, patients were classified into stages 1 to 3 diabetic kidney disease. Grayscale ultrasound andshear wave elastography were performed. The sizes, depths, and shear wave elastography values were recorded. These parameters were compared between the diabetic kidney disease and the control subjects. RESULTS: The mean shear wave elastography values were significantly higher in the diabetic kidney disease group (10.156±1.75 kPa vs. 8.241±1.4 kPa; p<0.001). We obtained statistically significantly higher shear wave elastography values in stages 2 and 3 diabetic kidney disease subjects than control subjects and in patients with stage 3 diabetic kidney disease compared to those with stage 1 diabetic kidney disease (p<0.05 for all). We obtained a cutoff value of 9.23 kPa for predicting diabetic kidney disease in early stages, with a sensitivity of 67% and a specificity of 82%. CONCLUSION: Shear wave elastography may be used as a noninvasive, simple, and quantitative method to provide diagnostic information as a part of routine management of patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus, especially in the early stages of diabetic kidney disease.