Serum cystatin C may predict the early prognostic stages of patients with type 2 diabetic nephropathy.

We determined the relationship between levels of serum cystatin C or serum creatinine (s-Cr) and prognostic stages of type 2 diabetic nephropathy. Serum samples from 174 patients with type 2 diabetes were obtained from Juntendo University Hospital, Tokyo and Juntendo Urayasu Hospital, Chiba, Japan. They were classified into four groups according to the Report of the Ministry of Health and Welfare of Japan as follows: Stage I (normoalbuminuric stage), Stage II (microalbuminuric stage), Stage IIIA (macroalbuminuric stage without renal dysfunction), Stage IIIB (macroalbuminuric stage with renal dysfunction), and Stage IV (renal failure stage).