Circulating hsa-miR-221 as a possible diagnostic and prognostic biomarker of diabetic nephropathy.

Background: Diabetic nephropathy (DN), which is a chronic outcome of diabetes mellitus (DM), usually progresses to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). The DN pathophysiology, nevertheless, is not well-defined. Several miRNAs were reported to be either risk or protective factors in DN.