Aim of the study. To specify renal biopsy findings in patients with diabetes mellitus (DM) and to define clinical symptoms that are reated to non-diabetic renal disease.
Materials and methods. Retrospective analysis of 57 patients with DM data, who had renal biopsy performed in Santaros Clinics Nephrology department between 2011 and 2018. Study group contained 7 patients with type 1 DM and 49 patients with type 2 DM, 1 patient had unknown type of DM. Information about DM type, duration, treatment, presence of diabetes complications was collected and laboratory test results and renal histology results were analyzed. Five most common signs of diabetic nephropathy were assessed in renal biopsy results.
Results. Patients with diabetic nephropathy had 2 times longer duration of diabetes, they were treated with insulin more often, used larger doses of insulin, were diagnosed with DM complications 6 times more frequently. More over diabetic retinopathy was present 16 times more often than in patients diagnosed with non-diabetic renal disease. When compared with non-diabetic renal disease groups, patients with diabetic nephropathy had 2 times higher protein level in urine, lower creatinine concentration and less pronounced deterioration in renal function during 6-month period. Non-diabetic renal disease was caused mostly by crescentic glomerulonephritis and IgA nephropathy.
Conclusions: atypical signs of diabetic kidney disease, such as non- nephrotic proteinuria, quickly increasing or high creatinine concentration, or no present diabetes complication, indicate that renal biopsy should be considered. Rapid diagnosis of a superimposed renal disease could prevent progression to end stage renal disease.
