An international research team led by scientists from University of Michigan has identified a urinary biomarker that could help predict which CKD patients are at risk of kidney disease progression and kidney failure. The team pinpointed the protein, epidermal growth factor (EGF), while studying kidney tissue biopsies from chronic kidney disease patients in the United States and Europe. Urine samples from more than 940 CKD patients from North America, Europe, and China later revealed that a decrease in EGF levels is an early indicator of a decrease in kidney function. Patients with low EGF levels were four times as likely to develop worsening kidney disease. The researchers hope that one day a simple urine test for EGF levels could lead to earlier detection of aggressive kidney disease and more timely interventions to preserve kidney function.
Source:
Study Reveals Non-Invasive Warning Sign of Kidney Disease Progression, EurekAlert, December 2, 2015