AGER and diabetic kidney disease: Moreover, ApoA1 modified by advanced glycation end products (AGE-ApoA1) may play a unique role in diabetic nephropathy, as it not only loses the ability to promote cholesterol efflux, but also activates the p38 MAPK pathway by binding to the receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE), inducing epithelial-mesenchymal transition in renal tubular epithelial cells.