Metabolomics study reveals blood biomarkers for early diagnosis of chronic kidney disease and IgA nephropathy: A...

Area of Science:

• Biochemistry
• Nephrology
• Biomarker Discovery

Background:

• Chronic kidney disease (CKD) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) significantly impact quality of life and mortality.
• Early diagnosis of CKD and IgAN is critical for effective treatment and slowing disease progression.
• Current diagnostic methods lack sensitive and accurate blood biomarkers for early detection.

Purpose of the Study:

• To identify novel plasma biomarkers for the early diagnosis of CKD.
• To discover specific biomarkers for the early detection of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) within CKD patients.
• To evaluate the diagnostic potential of tryptophan-derived metabolites.

Main Methods:

• Quantification of plasma tryptophan-derived metabolites using LC-MS/MS-based metabolomics.
• Development of multivariate predictive models, including logistic regression and random forest.
• Validation in two independent patient cohorts.

Main Results:

• Plasma melatonin achieved >95% accuracy in diagnosing early CKD (stages I-II).
• A panel of melatonin and tryptophan demonstrated 100% accuracy for early CKD diagnosis.
• Indole-3-lactic acid effectively distinguished IgAN among CKD patients, with a combined biomarker panel achieving >85% accuracy for early IgAN diagnosis.

Conclusions:

• Plasma melatonin and indole-3-lactic acid are promising biomarkers for early CKD and IgAN detection.
• These biomarkers facilitate timely diagnosis, enabling earlier treatment and potentially improving patient prognosis.
• The study highlights the potential of metabolomics in identifying novel diagnostic tools for kidney diseases.