<p>This is an open access article distributed under the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original work is properly cited.</p> <p>The intent of this review is to focus on recent advances
in the understanding of the factors responsible for the progressive
pathologic features of diabetic kidney disease, with
special attention to various growth factors and cytokines
that appear to be important in this process. In addition,
emphasis is centered on relatively early stages of the disease,
because animal models have been most helpful to date
in understanding this stage of the disease process. Although
tubulointerstitial changes are of critical importance in the
progression of diabetic nephropathy, especially in the evolution
to end-stage renal disease, there is a general consensus
that glomerular pathology occurs first. Therefore, attention
is limited to factors that may be important in the development
of early diabetic glomerulopathy, including transforming
growth factor-beta (TGF-<italic>β</italic>), insulin-like growth
factor (IGF)-I, vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-A, and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF).</p>
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Exp Diabesity Res. 2003; 4(4):225-233