Association between fetuin-a levels and diabetic nephropathy in patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus

Fetuin-A is a liver secreted glycoprotein that plays a pivotal role in various physiological processes including insulin resistance, inflammation, and inhibition of ectopic calcification. This study aimed to estimate and compare the level of serum fetuin-A in T2DM patients with and without nephropathy. This cross-sectional study was conducted with 84 participants, divided into three groups. Group I includes (n = 28) healthy individuals without any history of T2DM or DN, Group II includes (n = 28) T2DM patients without nephropathy, and Group III includes (n = 28) T2DM patients with nephropathy. The biochemical parameters such as fasting and postprandial plasma glucose, HbA1c, Renal function tests, lipid profiles and fetuin-A were analysed, and the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albumin-to-creatinine ratio (ACR) were calculated. Fetuin-A levels were significantly lower in diabetic nephropathy (DN) patients compared to both healthy controls and Type 2 Diabetes Mellitus (T2DM) patients without nephropathy (p < 0.05). There is a significant difference in Fetuin-A levels between healthy controls and T2DM patients with nephropathy. Fetuin-A was negatively correlated with ACR . ROC analysis revealed a sensitivity of 67.9% and a specificity of 64.3% for fetuin-A. The study suggests that serum Fetuin-A levels are significantly reduced in individuals with diabetic nephropathy and serve as a potential biomarker for the early detection and monitoring for Diabetic nephropathy.