Exploring the Relationship between TNF-α Gene Expression in Non Diabetic Nephropathy Type 2 Diabetes Patients

Abstract

Non-diabetic nephropathy (NDN) is a common complication of type 2 diabetes, leading to kidney damage and impaired kidney function. TNF-α (tumor necrosis factor-alpha) is a pro-inflammatory cytokine that has been implicated in the development of NDN. Objective: To evaluate the gene expression of TNF-α in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) without nephropathy to gain insight into the potential role of TNF-α in the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN). Methods: Total of 80 subjects were tested, split into two groups, including healthy patients, T2DM patients without nephropathy, and T2DM patients with nephropathy. RNA was extracted from blood samples, and RT-PCR was used to observe the impact of T2DM without nephropathy on the expression of the TNF-α gene using gene-specific primers and SYBR Green mix. Results: The results showed almost 4.4-fold induced expression of TNF-α in T2DM patients without nephropathy compared to the normal group. Conclusion: The findings may have implications for the development of new therapies and biomarkers for DN, and for a good interpretation of the complex pathophysiology of T2DM. The exact role of TNF-α in the pathogenesis of DN in humans is not fully understood, and further investigation is needed.