BACKGROUND
Diabetic nephropathy is a major microvascular complication in diabetic patients. No single etiologic factor has been identified to explain the development of diabetic nephropathy. Genetic factors, poor glycemic control, increased intra-glomerular pressure, systemic hypertension, and altered intrarenal hemodynamics may be contributed to the pathogenesis of diabetic nephropathy. Intrarenal duplex Doppler sonography can provide physiologic information reflecting the status of renal vascular resistance. Recently, there were some reports that obstructive renal disease and renal allograft rejection patients has altered intrarenal hemodynamics. So we investigate intrarenal hemo- dynamic abnormalities in diabetic patients with nephropathy and analyze the factors associated with increased intrarenal resistance METHODS: The patients were divided into the three groups. According to the levels of 24-hour urinary albumin excretion(UAE), group 1 (UAE<30mg/day, normoalbuminuria), group 2 (30 mg/day