Similarly, other studies have also shown that in experimental diabetic kidney disease (DKD) Lrg1 gene expression induced in glomerular endothelial cells is involved in vascular rarefication and subsequent neovascularization and fibrosis, partly via activation of the p38 and TGF-β-SMAD1/5/8 pathway (52, 53, 87, 88). Here, LRG1 is linked to diabetic kidney disease.