Objective      To investigate the expression of tumor necrosis factor related apoptosis inducing ligand (TRAIL) in the patients with diabetic nephropathy (DN) and the relationship between TRAIL expression and renal tissue injury.        Methods      Thirty-six patients with type 2 diabetes mellitus and biopsy identified DN were recruited for this study

and 9 patients with normal kidney tissues after renal hamartoma or cancer resection were collected as the control group. All the patients were selected from the department of nephrology in Daping Hospital from January 2010 to December 2013. The demographic data and clinical data of all the patients were collected. TRAIL expression in renal tissues was detected with immunohistochemical assay

and its correlation with clinical data and renal tissue injury was analyzed.        Results      TRAIL was mainly expressed in cell membrane and/or cytoplasm of renal tubular epithelial cells

and its expression level rose along with the severity of renal tubulointerstitial injury. TRAIL expression was positively correlated with systolic blood pressure

quantitative urinary protein

urinary N-acetyl-β-D-glucosaminidase

urinary albumin/creatinine

uric acid

urea nitrogen

serum creatinine and cystatin C

and negatively correlated with estimated glomerular filtration rate (r=-0.936

P0.01).        Conclusion      TRAIL expression is closely related to renal tissue injury severity and renal function

which suggests that TRAIL plays an important role in DN progression.