ALB and diabetes mellitus: The pathology of DN is characterized by pathological levels of urine albumin excretion (UAE), diabetic glomerular lesions, and loss of glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in patients with diabetes.[36] The classic definition of DN involves the presence of proteinuria >0.5 g/24 hours, while it is now defined by increased urinary albumin excretio in the absence of other renal diseases.[37] Based on the values of UAE, DN is divided into microalbuminuria (UAE >20 μg/min and ≤199 μg/min) and macroalbuminuria (UAE ≥200 μg/min) stages.