Second, U-FAPB4 was not measurable in nearly one-fourth of the subjects. Thus, the relationship between U-FAPB4 and HhAntag691 albuminuria might not be generalized to the overall population. This issue needs to be re-examined if sensitivity of U-FABP4 assay is improved. In addition, some of subjects in the present study might have several drugs, including angiotensin II receptor blockers and statin, which have been reported to affect circulating FABP4 concentrations. Therefore, such drugs might modulate urinary excretion of FABP4. Lastly, since all study subjects were Japanese, whether the present findings can be generalized to other ethnicities remains unclear. In conclusion, urinary FABP4 level is independently correlated with level of albuminuria and possibly predicts yearly decline of eGFR. U-FABP4 would be a novel biomarker of glomerular damage. Vocal folds are covered by a specialized, multilayered epithelium which protects the underlying tissue from environmental and mechanical insults. To maintain an intact epithelium, epithelial cells undergo constant turnover across the lifespan. Under homeostatic conditions, epithelial renewal is likely achieved by turnover of a small number of cells in the basal layer of the vocal fold epithelium. The cellular and molecular mechanisms underlying epithelial self-renewal in response to daily challenges, injury, and infection are unknown. One common way to elucidate these mechanisms is to recruit cells into a proliferative state through controlled injury. In the present study, we sought to demonstrate the involvement of key growth factors in epithelial regeneration during the acute phase of wound healing as a necessary first step for uncovering potential mechanisms of wound repair and remodeling. Various growth factors have been implicated in the regeneration of a structurally and functionally intact epithelium after injury. Here, we focus on two endogenous growth factors that are known to play key roles in epithelial proliferation throughout the body, epidermal growth factor and transforming growth factor beta. EGF is secreted by various cell types involved in wound healing including epithelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, and platelets. The effects of exogenous EGF on vocal fold fibroblast, but not epithelial cell, behavior has been studied in vitro; EGF stimulates canine fibroblast proliferation, but reduces porcine fibroblast migration in in vitro scratch assays. Endogenous EGF has been shown to play a critical role in guiding acute and chronic epithelial response to damage through paracrine and autocrine signaling in airway epithelia. Further, it promotes epithelial regeneration by regulating intercellular junction disassembly and increasing cell proliferation after injury. Determining the presence, expression level, and role of endogenous EGF in epithelium and lamina propria during acute and chronic phases of vocal fold wound healing in vivo awaits investigation. The role of TGFb has been better explored in vocal fold wound healing; however, its effects are not fully understood. TGFb is secreted by epithelial cells, fibroblasts, macrophages, and platelets.