Copeptin: Promising Biomarker for Nephropathy in Type II Diabetes

Abstract

Kidney injury is a dangerous diabetic microvascular complication responsible for the mortality of diabetics, which would require biomarkers for early detection of diabetic nephropathy. Copeptin, the C-terminal portion of vasopressin prohormone, is rapidly released in severe endogenous stress. So, the current work was carried out to evaluate and estimate copeptin as a marker for diabetic nephropathy. This cross-sectional work was conducted on 60 female and male type II diabetic cases. Diabetic cases were divided as normoalbuminuric (urinary albumin was <30 mg/24 h) without nephropathy and macroalbuminuric (urinary albumin was >300 mg/24 h) with nephropathy. The Control group was designated from fifteen matched healthy subjects. Controls and patients were evaluated for fasting blood glucose, glycosylated hemoglobin (HbA1c), urinary albumin, serum creatinine, and serum copeptin. Copeptin concentrations were significantly increased in type II diabetics with macroalbuminuria comparing to healthy controls and diabetics with normoalbuminuria. Serum copeptin concentrations were correlated positively with gold standard urinary albumin, serum creatinine, and HbA1c. Higher serum copeptin concentration in type II diabetics particularly in diabetics with nephropathy and its correlation with urinary albumin and HBA1c reflect the potential role of copeptin as a predictor of diabetes mellitus and development of diabetic nephropathy among type II diabetics considering other risk factors.