STAT3 and diabetic kidney disease: It has been reported that the glomeruli and tubulointerstitium of patients with DKD have significantly higher expression of JAK1-3, STAT1 and STAT3 mRNA, and protein, particularly JAK2, which activates JAK/STAT signaling and induces glomerular sclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis (Berthier et al., 2009).