[Puberty, pregnancy, gender and hormonal status--putative risk factors for diabetic nephropathy].

Contemplation of non-genetic risk factors that are influencing the onset and development of diabetic nephropathy (diabetic kidney disease--DKD) is very important. This article is integrative, assessing the existent data about several possible risk factors for DKD. Because the age of onset and postpubertal duration of diabetes seems to be strongly correlated with DKD, it is feasible for puberty to be another independent risk factor. Data analysis regarding puberty and possible explanatory mechanisms to link it with DKD, as the connection with DKD of other situations, with special hormonal status (like pregnancy), is also part of this article. Summing up the data about hormonal status, we can conclude that ANF levels are a risk factor for diabetic nephropathy because they are implicated in diminution of urinary Na elimination and hypertension and subsequent urinary albumin excretion (UAE) in case of inadequate glycaemic control. The evidences regarding GH are indicating that it is a risk factor for DKD and that he is probably implicated in glomerular hypertrophy onset at puberty. The urinary elimination levels of GH are very strong correlated with UAE being putative early marker for DKD. Also the GH deficiency seems to be a protective mechanism for DKD apparition. GH is strongly correlated with IGF-1 that has very high urinary levels in microalbuminuric patients. These levels are very well related to UAE, kidney volume--important markers for glomerular hypertrophy. The evidences accumulated until now regarding the role of masculine gender, testosterone and estrogens in DKD are inarticulate.