Correlation Between Ets-1 and the Progression of Diabetic Kidney Disease

Background To investigate the correlation between Ets-1 and the progression of diabetic kidney disease (DKD). Methods A total of 115 patients with biopsy-proven DKD were followed for three years. Based on renal function after follow-up, they were categorized into a progress group (PG, 57.4%, 66/115) and a relatively stable group (RSG, 42.6%, 49/115). Ets-1 expression in renal tissue was analyzed, along with its associations with clinical, biochemical, and pathological parameters, and its predictive value for DKD progression. Results Ets-1 expression differed significantly between PG and RSG (p < 0.01). Its expression strongly correlated with clinical indicators of kidney injury (e.g., proteinuria, serum creatinine, blood pressure) and systemic inflammation (CRP) (all p < 0.01), and inversely with estimated eGFR (p < 0.01). Importantly, Ets-1 showed strong positive correlations with all renal pathological scores (glomerular, tubulointerstitial, vascular lesions) and expression of the EMT marker α-SMA (all r > 0.7, p < 0.01). Binary logistic regression confirmed that Ets-1 expression, UAER, 24-hour UTP, and serum creatinine were independent risk factors for DKD progression. ROC analysis demonstrated high predictive value of Ets-1 for DKD progression (AUC = 0.875), comparable to that of UAER (AUC = 0.874). Conclusion Ets-1 is closely associated with DKD progression and may serve as a potential predictor for disease advancement in clinical practice.