UTILITY OF SERUM KIDNEY INJURY MOLECULE-1 (KIM-1) AS A DIAGNOSTIC TOOL FOR EARLY MARKER FOR DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY IN PATIENTS WITH TYPE-2 DIABETES MELLITUS

Diabetic nephropathy (DN) presents a multifaceted challenge, representing one of the most prevalent complications arising from diabetes and a significant contributor to chronic kidney disease. Among potential biomarkers, kidney injury molecule-1 (KIM-1) stands out for its sensitivity and specificity in detecting kidney injury, as well as its prognostic potential. This study aims to investigate the utility of serum KIM-1 as an early indicator of diabetic nephropathy. A total of 126 participants diagnosed with diabetes were enrolled and categorized into two groups based on the presence or absence of microalbuminuria, representing T2DM patients with nephropathy. Standard laboratory techniques were utilized to measure parameters such as blood glucose, HbA1c, albumin and serum creatinine levels. Serum KIM-1 levels were quantified using a sandwich enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. A significant disparity in mean serum KIM-1 levels was observed between the diabetic individuals with or without microalbuminuria (P = 0.0001). Furthermore, participants with an extended duration of diabetes exhibited elevated serum KIM-1 values (P = 0.001 in DM without microalbuminuria; P = 0.001 for DM with microalbuminuria). This study underscores significantly heightened serum KIM-1 levels in both diabetic groups, with a positive correlation observed between serum KIM-1 levels and the duration of diabetes. Consequently, serum KIM-1 emerges as a promising early diagnostic marker for predicting nephropathy among individuals with diabetes in our population.