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Assessment of Vascular Function in Patients With Chronic Kidney Disease
Published on: June 16, 2014
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D-Serine reflects kidney function and diseases
Atsushi Hesaka1,2,3, Shinsuke Sakai3, Kenji Hamase4
1KAGAMI Project, National Institute of Biomedical Innovation, Health and Nutrition (NIBIOHN), Osaka, Japan.
Scientific Reports
|March 27, 2019
Summary
D-serine, a specific amino acid, shows promise as a biomarker for kidney disease. Its blood and urine levels accurately reflect kidney function and aid in early chronic kidney disease (CKD) detection.
Area of Science:
- Biochemistry
- Nephrology
- Biomarker Discovery
Background:
- Chronic kidney disease (CKD) presents a global health challenge due to difficulties in early detection and functional assessment.
- D-amino acids, previously undetected enantiomers of L-amino acids, are emerging as significant biomarkers.
- Current CKD management is hampered by limitations in estimating kidney function and diagnosing the disease early.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the role of D-serine intra-body dynamics as a potential biomarker for kidney function and disease.
- To explore the chiral selectivity of amino acid reabsorption and excretion by the kidney.
- To assess the efficacy of D-serine levels in distinguishing CKD from non-CKD states.
Main Methods:
- Correlation analysis of blood D-serine levels with glomerular filtration rate (GFR).
- Evaluation of D-serine levels' independence from clinical factors like body size.
- Analysis of urinary D-serine dynamics in relation to CKD presence.
- Assessment of kidney's chiral selectivity in amino acid handling.
Main Results:
- Blood D-serine levels strongly correlated with glomerular filtration ratio, a key indicator of kidney function.
- D-serine reabsorption by the kidney demonstrated sensitivity to CKD.
- Combined analysis of blood and urinary D-serine effectively differentiated CKD patients from healthy individuals.
- D-serine levels showed relative stability against confounding clinical factors such as body size.
Conclusions:
- Intra-body dynamics of D-serine serve as a reliable indicator of kidney function and disease.
- D-serine exhibits chiral selectivity in renal handling, making it sensitive to CKD.
- D-serine holds potential as a vital biomarker for precise kidney function assessment and early CKD diagnosis, potentially aiding in disease prevention.
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