Metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid pathway in the progression of chronic renal failure

In this study, researchers evaluated the association between metabolites of the tricarboxylic acid pathway and the risk of progression to chronic kidney disease in patients with type 2 diabetes. Urinary lactate, pyruvate, citrate, alpha-ketoglutarate, succinate, fumarate and malate were measured by mass spectrometry. Over a median follow-up of 9.2 years, urinary lactate, fumarate and malate were associated with an increased risk of kidney damage, while citrate was associated with a low risk of kidney problems, after adjusting for cardio-renal risk factors.