Effect of serum cystatin C in early diabetic nephropathy in type 2 Iraqi diabetic patients

Objective This study aimed to find the effect of serum Cystatin C in early diabetic nephropathy. Method This study was conducted in Al Kindy Teaching Hospital during the period from December, 2015 to June, 2016. The study included 90 subjects (30 males and 30 females) with diabetic type 2 and 30 healthy control. Age is between 30 and 70 years. Patients were with no history of liver disease, thyroid or other endocrine diseases through clinical interviewing. They were divided in to three groups. 30 healthy controls, 30 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus with no albuminuria (albumin excretion in urine 30 μg/ml ). Results There were no significant differences in age, body mass index (BMI) among the studied groups (p > 0.05). Serum Cystatin C levels showed significant difference (p < 0.001) among studied groups, it was significantly higher in micro albuminuria than the other two groups. There was highly significant positive correlation between Cystatin C and serum creatinine (r = 0.697, p < 0.001), and a significant negative correlation between Cystatin C and GFR (r = − 0.455, p = 0.011) and show significant positive correlation between Cystatin C and urine albumin (r = 0.526, p = 0.003 ) in type 2 diabetic patients with micro albuminuria. Conclusion Cystatin C is negatively correlated with the amount of GFR, so that Cystatin C considered reliable and sensitive marker for identifying changes in GFR. In type 2 diabetes mellitus with micro albuminuria serum Cystatin C level considered predict marker for renal failure.