Review Article

Candidate Urine Peptide Biomarkers for IgA Nephropathy: Where Are We Now?

Table 1

Urine peptide signatures for IgA nephropathy identified previously by mass spectrometry-based studies.

Independent validation
Sample sizeSample sizeDiscriminative ability of the biomarker
AuthorsSignatureClinical utilityPrimary IgANHealthy controlsDisease controlsPrimary IgANHealthy controlsDisease controlsSensitivitySpecificityAUC (95% CI)First versus second urineUrine fractionProteomic strategy

Haubitz et al. [6]22 proteins/peptidesDiagnostic, potentially predictive455713 (MN)IgAN versus healthy controls (100%), IgAN versus disease controls (77%)IgAN versus healthy controls (90%), IgAN versus disease controls (100%)SecondTotal urineCE-MS

Julian et al. [52]25 peptidesDiagnostic45207253 (FSGS, DN, LN, N, amyloidosis, acute vasculitis with nephritis, hypertensive renal disease, MCD, membranous GN)101222 (HSP nephritis, non-IgA GN, IgA-positiveimmune-complexGN) and 5 HSP without nephritisIgAN versus healthy and disease controls (82.3%)SecondTotal urineCE-MS

Graterol et al. [57]16 peptidesDiagnostic1914NoFirstUrine supernatantMALDI-TOF MS
10 peptidesCorrelation with poor renal function

Wu et al. [58]11 peptidesDiagnostic252423 (MN, MCD, LN)7613 (MN, MCD, LN)IgAN versus healthy controls (100%), IgAN versus disease controls (85.7%)IgAN versus healthy controls (100%) IgAN versus disease controls (76.9%)FirstUrine supernatantMALDI-TOF MS

Kwak et al. [60]Alpha-1-antitrypsine isoforms and their fragments elevated in IgAN versus controlsDiagnostic85NoFirstUrine supernatant2-DE and MALDI-TOF-MS

Rocchetti et al. [61]13 peptides including Perlecan laminin G-like 3 peptide and free K light chainsDiagnostic494042 (MGN, DN, N)1414 (MN, DN, N) and 10 MPGNFirstUrine supernatantSELDI-TOF-MS

Siwy et al. [8]116 peptidesDiscriminating IgAN from dominant CKD179No1001 (FSGS, MCD, MN, DN, N, LN)57417 (FSGS, DN, N, MCD, MN, LN, vasculitis-inducedkidney disease)0.82 (0.76–0.87)SecondTotal urineCE-MS

MN: membranous nephropathy; MCD: minimal change disease; LN: lupus nephritis; FSGS: focal segmental glomerulosclerosis; DN: diabetic nephropathy; N: hypertensive nephrosclerosis; MGN: membranous glomerular nephropathy; MPGN: non-IgA mesangioproliferative GN; HSP: Henoch–Schönlein purpura.