TGFB1 and diabetic kidney disease: Given its critical roles in angiogenesis, endothelial proliferation, ECM deposition, and breakdown of the blood-retina barrier, TGFB1 represents a candidate gene for susceptibility to DR as well as other chronic diabetic complications, including diabetic kidney disease (DKD) (Khan and Chakrabarti, 2003; Jia et al., 2011; Liu et al., 2014).