ALB and diabetic kidney disease: Diabetic nephropathy advances through a number of recognizable steps from sub-clinical disease to the first measurable stage of microalbuminuria (MIC), defined as persistent albumin excretion levels in urine normalized to creatinine levels (U-albumin) of 30-300 mg/24 h, to macroalbuminuria/diabetic nephropathy (DMN) with U-albumin>300 mg/24 h.