Objective To investigate the levels of serum soluble CD36 (sCD36) in patients of diabetes mellitus (DM) with chronic kidney disease (CKD), and to analyze its correlation with clinical indicators. Methods A total of 161 patients with CKD were enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into two groups according to whether they had DM or not: DM+CKD group and non-DM CKD group. The levels of carotid intima-media thickness (IMT) and the combination of atherosclerotic plaques were measured by color Doppler ultrasonography. Serum fasting serum samples were collected and serum sCD36 level was measured by ELISA. the status of serum sCD36 was analyzed with the progress of renal disease, and the correlation of sCD36 level with clinical indicators were analyzed. Results Among the 161 patients, 87 (54%) were DM+CKD and 74 (46%) were non-DM CKD. There was no significant difference in the levels of urea nitrogen (BUN), serum creatinine (sCr), estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), cystatin C (Cys-C), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (Chol), low density lipoprotein-chol (LDL-C), urinary albumin/creatinine and IMT in the two groups (P>0.05). Compared with non-DM CKD group, the serum sCD36 level (U/L) in DM+CKD group was lower (4.58±1.06 vs. 4.97±1.28, P<0.05). In DM+CKD group, serum sCD36 was negatively correlated with BUN, sCr and Cys-C (r=－0.355, －0.336, －0.323; P<0.01), and positively correlated with eGFR (r= 0.399; P<0.01), but not with TG, Chol, LDL-C or IMT (P>0.05). In non-DM CKD group, there was a positive correlation between sCD36 and TG, Chol and LDL-C (r= 0.251,0.298,0.292; P<0.05), and negatively correlated with Cys-C (r=－0.287; P<0.05), but not with eGFR, BUN, sCr or IMT (P>0.05). With the progress of CKD, serum sCD36 levels gradually decreased (P>0.05). Conclusion Serum sCD36 level is associated with renal function in the patients with DM complicated with CKD, but not with lipid indicators.
