Urinomics as a guide to the renal immune landscape in SLE
General Audience Summary
The most common organ-specific form of lupus is known as lupus nephritis, which means inflammation of the kidneys. Many patients with lupus nephritis must undergo surgical kidney biopsies to monitor their condition. Since these procedures are invasive and not without risk, other methods to monitor kidney function are needed. Urine tests are already done to monitor some aspects of lupus nephritis treatment, and would be an ideal replacement for kidney biopsies. Dr. Mohan’s research has already identified several promising markers in the urine of lupus nephritis patients that seem to be associated with clinically active disease. In this study, Dr. Mohan will be comparing how urine testing for these markers compares to testing kidney biopsies in detecting active lupus nephritis and monitoring treatment response.
What this study means for people with lupus
If urine screening is successful, this less invasive method of patient monitoring may remove the need for kidney biopsies to diagnose and monitor lupus nephritis.