Fluorescence Imaging Using Enzyme-Activatable Probes for Detecting Diabetic Kidney Disease and Glomerular Diseases

A clear identification of the etiology of glomerular disease is essential in patients with diabetes. Renal biopsy is the gold standard for assessing the underlying nephrotic pathology; however, it has the risk for potential complications. Here, we aimed to investigate the feasibility of urinary fluorescence imaging using an enzyme-activatable probe for differentiating diabetic kidney disease and the other glomerular diseases. Hydroxymethyl rhodamine green (HMRG)-based fluorescent probes targeting gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) and dipeptidyl-peptidase (DPP) were used. Urinary fluorescence was compared between groups which were classified by their histopathological diagnoses (diabetic kidney disease, glomerulonephritis, and nephrosclerosis) as obtained by ultrasound-guided renal biopsy. Urinary fluorescence was significantly stronger in patients with diabetic kidney disease compared to those with glomerulonephritis/nephrosclerosis after DPP-HMRG, whereas it was stronger in patients with nephrosclerosis than in patients with glomerulonephritis after GGT-HMRG. Subgroup analyses of the fluorescence performed for patients with diabetes showed consistent results. Urinary fluorescence imaging using enzyme-activatable fluorescence probes thus represents a potential noninvasive assessment technique for kidney diseases in patients with diabetes.