Discovery of new aid for the diagnosis and treatment of renal diseases

Researchers at Boston University School of Medicine (BUSM), in collaboration with scientists at the University of Louisville and the University of Nice Sophia Antipolis in France, aim PLA2R idiopathic antigen in patients with membranous nephropathy (kidney disease), the impact on the diagnosis and treatment of this disease. These results appear in the July 2nd edition of the New England Journal of Medicine.

Idiopathic membranous nephropathy with thickening and dysfunction of screening the party renal glomeruli. It was created, if antibodies against the glomeruli causes large amounts of protein leakage in urine. It is a relatively common cause for adult-onset kidney disease, progress over time, renal failure. Until now, the diagnosis of membranous nephropathy kidney biopsy necessary because there was no blood or urine tests to distinguish specific membranous nephropathy from other causes of renal diseases. This is because so far, the protein, which is the goal of the movement auto-antibodies has never been established.

To reach the target antigen in patients with this condition, the researchers used antibodies circulating in adults with the disease to identify the normal glomerular proteins. Analysis of the application of mass spectrometry and confirmation of proteins using specific reagents for the identification and characterization of the protein of domination, the movement of these antibodies.

According to researchers, this discovery has significant effects, both for diagnosis and treatment of membranous nephropathy. "Evaluation of the antigen is the development of a simple blood sample is taken to replace the need for renal biopsy and identify patients most benefit from immunosuppressive treatment," said David Senior author salting, MD, professor of medicine at BUSM and chief of section of the kidneys to the Boston Medical Center.

"Our results show that PLA2R is a major antigen in idiopathic membranous nephropathy. Seventy percent of patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy biopsy had shown that IgG antibodies reacted with PLA2R, part of normal human glomeruli , "he added.