iTRAQ plasma proteomics analysis for candidate biomarkers of type 2 incipient diabetic nephropathy.

Diabetic nephropathy is the most frequent cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Identification of biomarkers for diabetic nephropathy for early diagnosis may be the key to avoiding damage from this condition. Proteomic iTRAQ technology was first used to identify differentially expressed plasma proteins in type 2 incipient diabetic nephropathy (IDN) using a Q-Exactive mass spectrometer. Compared with controls, 57 proteins (32 upregulated and 25 downregulated proteins) were identified. Furthermore, the gelsolin, collectin-11, PTPRJ, and AKAP-7 proteins were confirmed by Western blots as candidate biomarkers for type 2 IDN through ROC analysis. These findings offer a theoretical basis for the early treatment of diabetic nephropathy.