Abstract:

Diabetic nephropathy, a major microvascular complication of both type 1 diabetes mellitus and type 2 diabetes mellitus，has become more common than primary glomerulonephritis. The pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy is multifactorial. It is important to understand the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy and to find new diagnostic and therapeutic targets. MicroRNAs are small noncoding RNA molecules that posttrancriptionally regulate gene expression. They mediate the pathophysiological changes of diabetic nephropathy such as fibrosis, inflammatory response, podocyte apoptosis and so on，through a variety of signaling pathways. Single nucleotide polymorphism and epigenetic modification of microRNAs are involved in the occurrence and development of diabetic nephropathy. At the same time, the stable presence of circulating microRNAs in body fluids also provides a basis for its early diagnosis value. However, the research and application of microRNAs is still a great challenge.

Key words: diabetic nephropathy, microRNA, pathogenesis, early diagnosis