The Faculty of Pharmacy discussed the master’s thesis tagged” Assessment of some serum biomarkers in a sample of Iraqi patients with diabetic nephropathy using angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors ” by Sumaya Baher Abdullrahman and her supervisor, Professor Dr. Eman Saadi Saleh, in the clinical pharmacy Department. The thesis aims to assess the reliability of vascular endothelial growth factor-A (VEGF-A), soluble vascular endothelial growth factor receptor-1 (sVEGFR-1), and macrophage migration inhibitory factor (MIF) as indicators of nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients, along with evaluating the nephroprotective role of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors agents in terms of their effect on the levels of these biomarkers. Thesis topics include measurements of serum VEGF-A and sVEGFR-1 for each participant and their correlation to glycemic indices, urea, creatinine, and urinary albumin to creatinine ratio, in addition to assessing the effect of angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitors on the levels of these biomarkers. The results refer to the possible function of VEGF-A and MIF as predictors of nephropathy in type 2 diabetic patients, while sVEGFR-1 shows poor prediction performance but is associated with worsening renal function. These results may pave the way for future risk classification and therapy options to lower the incidence of nephropathy in diabetic patients, resulting in enhanced quality and duration of life for individuals with the disease. The usage of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors has been linked to the suppression of high MIF levels produced by Angiotensin II. As a result, the MIF might be a new therapeutic target for diabetes and diabetic nephropathy.
