Proteomic profiling of urine: implications for lupus nephritis

Abstract

Introduction: Lupus nephritis (LN) is a common and significant manifestation, affecting 60% of adults and 80% of children with systemic lupus erythematosus, with up to 30% of patients progressing to end stage renal disease. There remains an unmet need for non-invasive markers of disease activity, damage, and response to therapy. In addition, non-invasive biomarkers that predict therapeutic efficacy are needed to enable cost-effective clinical trials of novel agents. Areas covered: This review examines the methodological aspects of urinary proteomics, the role of proteome profiling in identifying promising urinary biomarkers in LN, and the translation of research findings into clinically useful tools in the management of LN. Expert opinion: Targeted and unbiased proteomics have identified several promising urinary biomarkers that predict LN activity, damage (chronicity), and response to therapy. In particular, a combination of biologically plausible urinary biomarkers termed as RAIL (Renal Activity Index for Lupus) has emerged as an excellent predictor of LN activity as well as response to therapy, being able to predict efficacy within 3 months of therapy. If validated in additional large prospective studies, the RAIL biomarkers will transform the care of patients with LN, allowing for a personalized and predictive approach and improved outcomes.

Design and application of single-cell RNA sequencing to study kidney immune cells in lupus nephritis

“…Cellular features not captured by scRNA-seq-These scRNA-seq approaches do not provide direct measurements of microRNA, proteomic or metabolic data, although some insights can be inferred. Although such analyses have been performed on blood and urine of patients with SLE [92][93][94] , none have been performed on tissue. Technical advances that combine cell surface protein detection with scRNA-seq, such as REAP-seq and CITE-seq 95, 96 , enable the correlation of protein expression with transcriptomic data and are of great interest in the analysis of tissue pathology.…”

Identification of Molecular Markers Associated With the Pathophysiology and Treatment of Lupus Nephritis Based on Integrated Transcriptome Analysis

“…In recent years, with the wide use of immunosuppressants and biological agents, the prognosis and survival rate of patients with LN have improved; however, 10–20% of the patients with LN progress to ESRD, which is linked to a heavy burden and morbidity ( Aljaberi et al, 2019 ). So, there is a need to study the pathophysiology and discover new therapeutic methods to prevent LN progression and prolong patient survival.…”

Hsa_circ_0123190 acts as a competitive endogenous RNA to regulate APLNR expression by sponging hsa-miR-483-3p in lupus nephritis

“…Lupus nephritis (LN) is one of the most common and severe complications of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and seriously affects the quality of life and prognosis of SLE patients. About 80% of children and 60% of adults are susceptible, and up to 30% of patients could progress to end-stage renal disease (ESRD) [ 1 ]. Previous studies investigated 491 cases of LN patients in central plains of China with 5-year, 10-year, 15-year, and 20-year survival rates of 88%, 77%, 53%, and 46%, respectively, and found that renal failure was the main cause of death [ 2 ].…”