[Higher procalcitonin level in diabetic nephropathy patients compared with healthy volunteers].

Objective: To investigate the difference of procalcitonin (PCT) level between uninfected diabetic nephropathy patients and healthy volunteers.

Methods: This study enrolled 76 patients with diabetes only [DM group, 24 h urinary micro albumin (mALB) < 30 mg/24 h], 81 patients with early DN (EDN group, mALB 30-300 mg/24 h), 87 DN patients (DN group, mALB > or = 300 mg/24 h), and 82 age- and sex-matched healthy volunteers. All the patients were free of systemic infection.