End-stage renal disease (ESRD)is caused primarily by diabetic nephropathy (DN), which is the most serious and widespread diabetic kidney complication. The endo—D-glucuronidase heparanase plays a role in the development and progression of DN. sulphate (HS), an extracellular matrix (ECM) component, is particularly degraded by heparanase.The precise mechanism by which heparanase sustains the pathology of DN remains unknown.This study seeks to elucidate the role of heparanase urinary level in type 2 diabetic patients with and without nephropathy, as well as to assess its relationship with various clinical and biochemical parameters.This study involved 55 participants (15 diabetics with normoalbuminuria, 15 with microalbuminuria, 15 with macroalbuminuria and 10 healthy volunteers as a control group).Urinary heparanase levelwas measured.It was significantly greater in patients with DN than in control subjects.The ratio of urinary albumin to creatinine was inversely correlated with the glomerular filtration rate, while it was positively correlated with the estimated glomerular filtration rate(e GFR).In type 2 diabetic patients, the urinary heparanase level can serve as a diagnostic biomarker for DN.