To analyze the clinicopathological features in diabetic kidney disease (DKD) and non-diabetic kidney disease (NDKD) patients, and provide reference for patients who will receive renal biopsy with diabetes mellitus complicated with chronic kidney disease.

The patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus complicated with chronic kidney disease who underwent renal biopsy were collected through the database at the Nanfang Hospital of Southern Medical University from February 2002 to June 2018. According to the results of renal biopsy, they were divided into DKD group and NDKD group (including DKD+NDKD). The clinical manifestations and pathological types were compared between the two groups.

A total of 507 patients were eventually included in the study. There were 114 cases (22.5%) with DKD and 393 cases (77.5%) with NDKD. Pathologically, the most common pathological types of NDKD were membranous nephropathy (30.0%) and IgA nephropathy (19.1%). Among NDKD patients, 5.6% patients had DKD combing with NDKD. In term of the clinical manifestations, DKD patients had a longer history of diabetes (>1 year, 76.3% vs 36.1%, P<0.001), higher quantity of urinary protein [3.69(1.70, 6.74) g/24 h vs 2.21(0.91, 4.97) g/24 h, P<0.001], higher serum creatinine [117.5(85.8, 194.5) μmol/L vs 89.0(68.0, 143.8) μmol/L, P<0.001] than NDKD patients. But the hemoglobin [(105.07±20.85) g/L vs (124.41±25.02) g/L, P=0.002] and cholesterol [(5.69±1.87) mmol/L vs (6.43±2.75) mmol/L, P=0.001] in DKD patients were lower than those in NDKD patients. Logistic regression analysis showed that diabetes mellitus history (OR=4.162, 95%CI 1.717-10.098, P=0.002) , higer systolic pressure (every 1 mmHg, OR=1.028, 95%CI 1.011-1.045, P=0.001) , history of antihypertensive medication (OR=3.141, 95%CI 1.496-6.591, P=0.002), diabetic retinopathy (OR=5.561, 95%CI 2.361-13.100, P<0.001) and higher glycated hemoglobin level (every 1%, OR=1.680, 95%CI 1.333-2.118, P<0.001) were related factors of DKD, while hematuria (OR=2.781, 95%CI 1.334-5.798, P=0.006) and higher hemoglobin level (every 1 g/L, OR=1.022, 95%CI 1.008-1.037, P=0.002) were related factors of NDKD.

There are differences in clinical manifestations and pathological types between DKD and NDKD. The history of diabetes, antihypertensive medication, fundus examination, higher of proteinuria and glycosylated hemoglobin may predict DKD, while hematuria and higher level of hemoglobin may have certain guiding significance for the diagnosis of NDKD. The indication of renal biopsy in patients with diabetes mellitus complicated with chronic kidney disease should include comprehensive clinical manifestations.

Diabetes mellitus; Diabetic nephropathies; Biopsy; Non-diabetic nephropathy; Clinical manifestation; Pathological type