Ethiopia: A recent study published in Frontiers in Endocrinology has revealed a significant serum cystatin C and lipoprotein in type 2 diabetes patients with diabetic nephropathy versus those without diabetic nephropathy. These lipoprotein abnormalities were shown to be significantly associated with serum cystatin C levels.
The researchers found high serum creatinine and low cytostatin C levels in males, whereas low creatinine and high cystatin C levels in females. Serum cystatin C did not seem to be significantly affected by sex, unlike serum creatinine and a remarkable difference were found between type 2 diabetes patients with and without nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy is a leading cause of kidney failure. The diagnostic markers of nephropathy that, include albuminuria presence and a reduced eGFR (estimated glomerular filtration rate) are not clinically ideal. Most of them are raised following a significant decrease in renal function. Therefore, it is essential to seek more sensitive and non-invasive biomarkers to diagnose diabetic nephropathy.
Against the above background, Tadesse Asmamaw Dejenie, University of Gondar, Gondar, Ethiopia, and colleagues aimed to investigate the serum cystatin C levels and dyslipidemia for detecting diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) in a hospital-based comparative cross-sectional study.
The study was conducted from 2021 to 2022 and involved 140 patients with T2DM. Using a structured questionnaire, sociodemographic data were collected, and for biochemical analyses, 5 mL of blood was collected from each participant after overnight fasting.
The study led to the following findings:
In type 2 diabetes patients with nephropathy, the authors found significant lipoprotein abnormalities and increased serum cystatin C compared to those without nephropathy.
Serum cystatin C, fasting blood glucose, systolic blood pressure, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low-density lipoprotein, very low-density lipoprotein, high-density lipoprotein, and diabetes duration were identified as being significantly associated with diabetic nephropathy in multivariable logistic regression analysis.
The mean values of total cholesterol, triglyceride, and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels were also significantly higher in females compared to male type-2 diabetic patients.
The participants' fasting blood glucose levels and lipid profiles were significantly associated with serum cystatin C levels.
"The study found significantly higher serum cystatin C levels and systolic blood pressure and lipid profile abnormalities in type 2 diabetics with nephropathy than those without," the researchers conclude.
HDL cholesterol levels were also significantly low in T2DM patients with nephropathy, and other parameters of lipoproteins were substantially higher.
Reference:
Dejenie TA, Abebe EC, Mengstie MA, Seid MA, Gebeyehu NA, Adella GA, Kassie GA, Gebrekidan AY, Gesese MM, Tegegne KD, Anley DT, Feleke SF, Zemene MA, Dessie AM, Moges N, Kebede YS, Bantie B, Adugna DG. Dyslipidemia and serum cystatin C levels as biomarker of diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus. Front Endocrinol (Lausanne). 2023 Apr 4;14:1124367. doi: 10.3389/fendo.2023.1124367. PMID: 37082121; PMCID: PMC10112538.