03106: Clinical Validation of Urinary miR-126 as a Marker of Immune Complex- Mediated Glomerulonephritis in Dogs
Grant Status: Open
Abstract
Chronic kidney disease is a significant cause of illness and death in dogs and is often caused by glomerular diseases. A specific category of glomerular disease called immune-complex glomerulonephritis (ICGN) accounts for approximately 50% of dogs that have a kidney biopsy due to suspicion of glomerular disease. The treatment for ICGN compared with other glomerular diseases differs in that immunosuppressive therapy is typically recommended. However, such therapy can be harmful in dogs without an immune-mediated component to their disease. Currently, ICGN can only be diagnosed with evaluation of a kidney biopsy, as there are no available biomarkers that can accurately identify category of glomerular disease.
MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are small non-coding RNAs that regulate gene expression. The researchers have recently obtained preliminary data supporting that urinary miR-126 can differentiate dogs with ICGN from dogs with two other common causes of glomerular disease. The goal of this study is to determine the clinical usefulness of urinary miR-126 to diagnosis ICGN in dogs. The research team will quantify miR-126 in a larger number of dogs that have a variety of glomerular diseases. They will also determine urinary miR-126 expression in dogs with non-renal diseases and with urine containing blood, inflammatory cells, and bacteria. The investigators hypothesize that miR-126 will be highly sensitive and specific for ICGN in dogs. Successful completion of this study would allow veterinarians to non-invasively diagnose and therefore more appropriately treat ICGN in those dogs that are not good candidates for a kidney biopsy.
Publication(s)
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