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The following is a summary of “Urinary sediment mRNA as a potent biomarker of IgA nephropathy,” published in the November 2024 issue of Nephrology by Kim et al.
Urinary mRNA expression is a reliable biomarker for various diseases. However, its clinical relevance in IgA nephropathy (IgAN) remains underexplored.
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to analyze urinary mRNA expression and its clinical significance in IgAN.
The study enrolled 200 patients with biopsy-proven IgAN, 48 disease controls, and 76 healthy controls. Differential mRNA expression in renal tissue was identified using the Gene Expression Omnibus dataset. Urinary sediment mRNA levels were measured by quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction. They analyzed associations between mRNA levels and clinicopathological parameters and evaluated the predictive value of mRNAs for disease progression.
The results showed that urinary expression of CCL2, CD14, DNMT1, FKBP5, Nephrin, and IL-6 was higher in patients with IgAN than in healthy controls. C3, FLOT1, and Podocin levels correlated with renal function, and C3, FLOT1, and TfR levels with urinary protein excretion. During follow-up, 26 (13.0%) patients progressed to end-stage renal disease or a >50% decline in eGFR. FLOT1 mRNA levels (HR 3.706, 95% CI 1.373–10.005, P = 0.010) were independently linked to increased progression risk.
The study concluded that urinary sediment mRNAs are potential biomarkers for IgAN. They recommended further studies with larger sample sizes and longer follow-up.
Source: bmcnephrol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12882-024-03696-7
