Clinical utility of autoantibodies to erythropoietin receptor as a prognostic biomarker in chronic kidney disease

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 20K22870
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Research Activity Start-up
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: 0902:General internal medicine and related fields
• Research Institution: Kanazawa University
• Principal Investigator: Oshima Megumi 金沢大学, 附属病院, 特任助教 (80802066)
• Project Period (FY): 2020-09-11 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: 慢性腎臓病 / バイオマーカー / 抗エリスロポエチン受容体抗体 / IgA腎症

Outline of Final Research Achievements

Early prediction of progression of kidney disease is important in patients with chronic kidney disease. We have focused on anti-erythropoietin (EPO) receptor antibodies as a novel biomarker for predicting kidney prognosis. In this study, we investigated its clinicopathological significance in IgA nephropathy known as a typical chronic kidney disease. We confirmed some patients with IgA nephropathy had positive anti-EPO receptor antibodies. In patients with anti-EPO receptor antibodies, serum IgA/C3 ratio was higher and active pathological findings were more frequently observed compared with those without antibodies. No association was observed for anemia, kidney function, and kidney events including initiation of renal replacement therapy and death.

Free Research Field

腎臓学

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

国内・国外で慢性腎臓病において多くの腎予後予測のバイオマーカーに関する検討が報告されている。しかしながら、未だ既知の予測因子である蛋白尿や腎組織所見を超える予後予測マーカーの実用化には至っていない。したがって本研究は、慢性腎臓病における血中抗EPO受容体抗体の臨床病理学的意義を解明することにより、新たな視点からの慢性腎臓病の重症化予測に繋がる可能性があることから社会的意義は大きいと考える。