Advances in urinary proteome analysis and biomarker discovery in pediatric renal disease

Recent progress in proteomic analysis and strategies for the identification of clinically useful biomarkers in biofluids has led to the identification of urine as an excellent non-invasive reservoir for biomarkers of disease. Urinary biomarkers have been identified and validated on independent cohorts in different high-incidence adult renal diseases, including diabetic nephropathy, chronic kidney disease and immunoglobulin A-nephropathy, but also in extrarenal disease, such as coronary artery disease. Unfortunately, this type of research is underrepresented in the pediatric population. Here, we present the rare studies in the pediatric population that identified potential clinically useful urinary biomarkers in ureteropelvic junction (UPJ) obstruction and renal Fanconi syndrome. These studies, although limited in number, clearly show the potential of urinary proteomics, especially in the pediatric population. It is anticipated that the advances made in the adult population, the lessons learned on the use of appropriate statistics and the inclusion of independent blinded validation cohorts in these types of studies will rapidly lead to clinical useful urinary biomarkers for other pediatric (renal) disease in a population where non-invasive analysis is particularly appreciated.