Association between apolipoprotein E polymorphism and nephropathy in Iranian diabetic patients.

Approximately one-third of diabetic patients develop evidence of nephropathy. Pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy (DN) remains unclear; however, some genetic and metabolic risk factors have been determined for the development and progression of DN. In the recent genetic studies, polymorphism of apolipoprotein E (ApoE) gene has been reported as a risk factor for the development of DN; however, the results are inconsistent.