Proteomic analysis of early urinary biomarkers of renal changes in type 2 diabetic patients

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is a complication associated with diabetes, leading to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Despite significant progress in understanding DN, the cellular mechanisms leading to the renal damage are incompletely defined. In this study, with the aim to identify urine biomarkers for the early renal alterations in type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2D), we performed urinary proteomic analysis of 10 normoalbuminuric patients with T2D, 12 patients with type 2 DN (T2DN), and 12 healthy subjects. Proteins were separated by 2-DE and identified with ESI-Q-TOF MS/MS. Comparing the patients proteomic profiles with those of normal subjects, we identified 11 gradually differently changed proteins. The decreased proteins were the prostatic add phosphatase precursor, the ribonuclease and the kallikrem-3. Eight proteins were progressively increased in both patients groups: transthyretin precursor, Ig K chain C region, Ig K chain V-II region Cum, Ig K-chain V-III region SIE, carbonic anhydrase 1, plasma retinol-binding protein, β-2-microglobulin precursor, β-2-glycoprotein 1. The proteomic analysis allowed us to identify several increased urinary proteins, not only in T2DN but also in T2D patients in which the microalbuminuria was in the normal range. These patterns of urinary proteins might represent a potential tool for a better understanding of diabetic renal damage.