Development of in house methodology for determination of anti-nephrin antibodies.

• Grant number: 24/18096-9
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Scientific Initiation
• Start date: December 01, 2024
• End date: November 30, 2025
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Gianna Mastroianni Kirsztajn
• Grantee: Gabrielly Beatriz Gomes Silva Milici
• Host Institution: Escola Paulista de Medicina (EPM). Universidade Federal de São Paulo (UNIFESP). Campus São Paulo. São Paulo , SP, Brazil

Abstract

Glomerulopathies are among the main causes of stage 5 chronic kidney disease and, although numerous treatments are available, there is a growing need for early diagnosis. Therefore, it is important to study sensitive biomarkers that are easy to handle in the clinical practice that allow the detection of the activity of these diseases, including episodes of reactivation. Anti-nephrin is a biomarker that has been described as promising for the diagnosis of minimal change disease (MCD) and disease activity.The kit available for anti-nephrin antibody measurements is very expensive, which makes it unfeasible to use it for diagnosis and follow-up of patients in clinical practice. Thus, the development and validation of the in house method of anti-nephrin antibody measurement would allow a more detailed study of the real usefulness of this marker. Objectives: This project proposes the development of the in house method for the determination of anti-nephrin antibodies. In addition to defining the validation criteria, we will evaluate patients with MCD and focal segmental and glomerulosclerosis and determine the reference values. Material and methods: Serum and urine samples will be collected from patients of both genders at different levels of clinical disease activity. The DuoSet ELISA Development System human Nephrin kit will be used, which contains the basic reagents necessary for the development of an enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA).