Dr. Tarek Mohamed Kamal Mohamed Metawie is a distinguished Professor of Biochemistry at the Faculty of Pharmacy, Cairo University. Born on March 6, 1955, in Egypt, he earned his B.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1976, followed by an M.Sc. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1979, and a Ph.D. in Pharmaceutical Sciences in 1984, all from Cairo University. Dr. Metawie began his academic career in 1976 as an instructor at the Faculty of Pharmacy, later advancing through various positions, including Lecturer Assistant in 1980, Lecturer in 1984, and Assistant Professor in 1989. He became a full Professor in 1994 and served as the Head of the Department of Biochemistry from 2008 to 2014. Throughout his career, Dr. Metawie has been a key figure in the development of biochemistry education and research at Cairo University, contributing extensively to the field of pharmaceutical sciences through his teaching, leadership, and scholarly work. His dedication to advancing scientific knowledge and fostering academic excellence has had a profound impact on the institution and the broader scientific community.
Potential serum biomarkers for early detection of diabetic nephropathy
A B S T R A C T
Aim: Diabetic nephropathy (DN) is considered as one of the diabetic complications affecting up to 40% of patients with type 1 or type 2 diabetes. In clinical practice, the frequently used markers of renal disease and progression are serum creatinine, estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) and albuminuria. The aim of this study is to determine new biomarkers in human serum which are promising for early detection of DN.
Methods: This study included 50 patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) and 25 clinically healthy individuals. The patients were divided into two groups; group I included 25 T2DM patients with normoalbuminuria, and group II consisted of 25 T2DM patients with microalbuminuria. In all groups, neutrophil gelatinase-associated lipocalin (NGAL), b-trace protein (bTP) and microRNA- 130b (miR-130b) were estimated.
Results: The serum levels of NGAL and bTP were significantly elevated in T2DM patients with microalbuminuria (group II) compared with T2DM patients with normoalbuminuria (group I) and control subjects but there was no significant difference between group I and control subjects.
Serum miR-130b level was significantly decreased in patients with T2DM (groups I and II) compared with healthy control subjects, with a higher decrease in their levels in group II compared with group I.
Conclusion: Our results suggest that serum NGAL and bTP as tubular and glomerular markers respectively, together with serum miR-130b may be independent and reliable