Background: Osteoprotegerin (OPG) was first found as being an inhibitor of bone resorption; however, research on OPG in type 2 diabetes mellitus patients and its relationship to albuminuria in Diabetic Kidney Disease (DKD) has been insufficient.
Objectives: Study the association between serum osteoprotegerin and diabetic kidney disease in type 2 diabetic patients.
Patients and methods: The study recruited 45 participants who all had diabetes. Group 1 comprised 15 type 2 diabetic patients with albuminuria that ranged from normal to mildly elevated. The second group consisted of 15 type 2 diabetic patients with mildly elevated albuminuria. Group 3 consisted of 15 type 2 diabetic patients with an extremely high albuminuria level. In all participants, the following was carried out: history taking; clinical examination, including height and weight; ophthalmoscopy; kidney ultrasound; and evaluation of fasting blood glucose; glycosylated hemoglobin; lipid profile; serum creatinine and urea; urinary ACR; and serum osteoprotegerin levels.
Results: Our studyshowed statistically positive correlation between osteoprotegerin and degree of albuminuria in type 2 diabetic patients. We found that the best cutoff of serum OPG was ≥1.652 in prediction of severely increased albuminuria. Conclusion: A biomarker known as OPG may be effective in identifying diabetics with type 2 who are at high risk of developing severe albuminuria.