Wednesday, March 14th, 2012
Researchers at Harvard Medical School and Joslin Diabetes Center have discovered that high levels of tumor necrosis factor (TNF) receptors found in the blood of patients with Type 1 and Type 2 diabetes may predict incidence of chronic kidney disease and kidney failure years later. TNF proteins can trigger inflammation, which has been linked to the development and progression of diabetic kidney disease, but the researchers don’t know if this is the reason why TNF receptors are increased in some patients. They hope to learn more about the connection, which could result in a diagnostic test and improved therapies for high-risk diabetes patients.
Source:
Proteins May Warn of Diabetic Kidney Disease Risk, Science News, February 11, 2012
