The strength of our study derives from the documentation in a human study of an important association of lncRNAs which poses well defined roles in the pathogenesis of DKD, such as lncRNA MALAT1, NEAT1, MIAT, and TUG1, with miRNAs which have concurrent negative (miRNA 21, 124), or positive (miRNA 93, 29a) effects, respectively, even in the early stages of DKD. Here, NEAT1 is linked to diabetic kidney disease.