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Review
. 2024 Apr 18;13(8):2339.
doi: 10.3390/jcm13082339.

Urinary Biomarkers for Lupus Nephritis: A Systems Biology Approach

Mohamed H Omer  1 , Areez Shafqat  2 , Omar Ahmad  2 , Juzer Nadri  2 , Khaled AlKattan  2 , Ahmed Yaqinuddin  2
Affiliations
Review

Urinary Biomarkers for Lupus Nephritis: A Systems Biology Approach

Mohamed H Omer et al. J Clin Med. .

Abstract

Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is the prototypical systemic autoimmune disorder. Kidney involvement, termed lupus nephritis (LN), is seen in 40-60% of patients with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). After the diagnosis, serial measurement of proteinuria is the most common method of monitoring treatment response and progression. However, present treatments for LN-corticosteroids and immunosuppressants-target inflammation, not proteinuria. Furthermore, subclinical renal inflammation can persist despite improving proteinuria. Serial kidney biopsies-the gold standard for disease monitoring-are also not feasible due to their inherent risk of complications. Biomarkers that reflect the underlying renal inflammatory process and better predict LN progression and treatment response are urgently needed. Urinary biomarkers are particularly relevant as they can be measured non-invasively and may better reflect the compartmentalized renal response in LN, unlike serum studies that are non-specific to the kidney. The past decade has overseen a boom in applying cutting-edge technologies to dissect the pathogenesis of diseases at the molecular and cellular levels. Using these technologies in LN is beginning to reveal novel disease biomarkers and therapeutic targets for LN, potentially improving patient outcomes if successfully translated to clinical practice.

Keywords: biomarkers; lupus nephritis; metabolomics; microRNAs; proteomics; transcriptomics.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors declare no conflicts of interest.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1
An overview of urinary microRNAs associated with lupus nephritis. This figure was created using BioRender.com.
Figure 2
Figure 2
An overview of the components of the RAIL score. This figure was created using BioRender.com.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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