Proteomic signature associated with chronic kidney disease (CKD) progression has been identifed by data-independent acquisition mass spectrometry. The work has recently been published in the journal Clinical Proteomics.
Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a worldwide public health problem with adverse outcomes of kidney failure and premature death. It has been estimated that the global prevalence of CKD is 13.4% and it’s the 12th leading cause of death globally. CKD affects around 800 million individuals worldwide and up to 3 million people in the UK. Currently, over 2 million people worldwide receive treatment with dialysis or a kidney transplant to stay alive.
Progression
Despite many extensive research studies undertaken to investigate potential mechanisms responsible for the development of renal disease, the underlying mechanisms that cause progressive loss of kidney function over time are still not clear.
Knowing what triggers progression of disease and what biomarkers contribute to this change would allow earlier identification and treatment of these patients, would decrease risk of complications and the number of patients with end-stage kidney disease. Consequently, this would decrease the pressure on an already stressed healthcare system and would decrease financial burden.
In this MRC-funded study colleagues investigated proteomic signatures of patients from the Salford Kidney Study, diagnosed with CKD, and classified them as fast CKD progressors and stable patients. We identified proteins in body fluid (plasma) from these patients and investigated their interactions with other proteins in the body.
Significant
By using the SWATH-MS proteomics approach we identified 25 biomarkers/proteins that were significant for distinguishing between rapid-progressors and stable CKD patients. We discovered interactions between these proteins and the complement cascade pathway and the ubiquitin-proteasome pathway. Both pathways could be targeted with novel anti-inflammatory and anti-fibrotic agents that could introduce new medication into clinical care. These candidate protein biomarkers now need to be validated in samples from patients from another large non-dialysis CKD cohort.