Serum Cat-S concentrations in each group were as follows: healthy control group: 312.51 (216.58,476.86) pg/mL; T2DM group: 476.45 (257.98,616.72) pg/mL; early DKD group: 684.61 (468.21,834.20) pg/mL; clinical DKD group: 1688.71 (1236.28, 2227.65) pg/mL. Here, PIMREG is linked to type 2 diabetes mellitus.