Lupus patients are often at greater risk for kidney disease than the general public, and may have to undergo many tests and possibly biopsies throughout the course of their disease to detect and treat kidney problems.
Researchers at the Medical University of South Carolina have identified a list of proteins found in the urine of people with lupus-related renal (kidney) disease. These biomarkers (the proteins) are not found in kidney disease with other causes.
The hope is that clinical tests can be developed to detect these proteins and eliminate the need for repeated kidney biopsies.
Source:
Highlights, National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases, Researchers Identify Biomarkers for Lupus-Related Kidney Disease, Dec. 2006.
