Utility of Urinary Nephrin in Patients With and Without Diabetic Nephropathy and Its Correlation With Albuminuria

Introduction Nephrin is a podocyte-specific protein that may serve as a urinary biomarker in patients with diabetic nephropathy. The objectives of the study were to determine urinary nephrin levels in patients with and without type 2 diabetic nephropathy and to assess the correlation between urinary nephrin and albuminuria. Methods This was a cross-sectional comparative study that was carried out at Jawaharlal Institute of Postgraduate Medical Education and Research (JIPMER), Puducherry over 18 months. Diabetic study subjects were divided into three groups-normoalbuminuria, microalbuminuria, and macroalbuminuria. Urinary albumin was detected by the dipstick method in a spot urine sample for all study subjects. In subjects with trace or no albuminuria, nephelometry was used to quantify urinary albumin levels. Urinary nephrin was estimated by the ELISA technique for all study subjects. Results Subjects in the microalbuminuria group had higher urinary nephrin levels than those in the normoalbuminuria and macroalbuminuria groups. There was a weak positive correlation between urinary albumin and nephrin levels among the study subjects (p < 0.001). Conclusion Urinary nephrin levels are increased in patients with diabetic nephropathy. There was a weak positive correlation between urinary albumin and nephrin levels among these patients.