Nephrology: Diagnosis and Management, Second Edition

A special issue of Diagnostics (ISSN 2075-4418). This special issue belongs to the section "Pathology and Molecular Diagnostics".

Deadline for manuscript submissions: 31 July 2026 | Viewed by 100

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Intermediate Care Unit, Ospedale Guglielmo da Saliceto, Piacenza, Italy
Interests: ICU; hemodialysis; critical care; intensive care medicine; sepsis; ventilation; hemodynamics; mechanical ventilation; dialysis; resuscitation
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Special Issue Information

Dear Colleagues,

This Special Issue, titled “Nephrology: Diagnosis and Management, Second Edition”, focuses on the latest advancements in the diagnosis and management of kidney diseases. The collection of articles explores a wide range of topics, including novel diagnostic techniques, biomarker discovery, as well as integrated management strategies for chronic kidney disease, acute kidney injury, glomerulonephritis and other nephrological conditions. Highlighting the multidisciplinary nature of nephrology, the contributions from leading experts in the field provide insights into the complex interplay between genetic, environmental and lifestyle factors that influence kidney health. The Special Issue also examines the role of technology in enhancing diagnostic precision and patient management, including the utilization of big data, artificial intelligence and telemedicine in the evaluation and monitoring of kidney diseases. Overall, this compilation offers a comprehensive update on the current state of nephrology, paving the way for further innovations in kidney care.

Dr. Elio Antonucci
Guest Editor

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Keywords

  • kidney disease
  • nephropathy
  • diagnosis
  • renal disease
  • pathophysiology

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Published Papers (1 paper)

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Research

9 pages, 710 KB  
Article
Clinical Determinants of Urinary Podocyte Biomarkers and Their Feasibility in Paraprotein-Related Kidney Disease
by Oliver Helk, Ludwig Wagner, Gürkan Sengölge, Thomas Reiter, Daniela Gerges, Hermine Agis and Wolfgang Winnicki
Diagnostics 2026, 16(6), 922; https://doi.org/10.3390/diagnostics16060922 (registering DOI) - 19 Mar 2026
Abstract
Background/Objectives: Kidney injury is a frequent complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and monoclonal gammopathies. Podocyte stress markers, such as urinary nephrin and podocin, have been studied in other renal diseases but their utility in paraprotein-related kidney disease remains unclear. This pilot study investigated [...] Read more.
Background/Objectives: Kidney injury is a frequent complication of multiple myeloma (MM) and monoclonal gammopathies. Podocyte stress markers, such as urinary nephrin and podocin, have been studied in other renal diseases but their utility in paraprotein-related kidney disease remains unclear. This pilot study investigated the association of urinary nephrin and podocin levels with albuminuria and biopsy-proven podocytopathy in patients with paraprotein-related diseases. Methods: We retrospectively analyzed 75 patients with plasma cell dyscrasias, including MM and MGRS, along with 11 healthy controls. Urinary podocin and nephrin mRNA levels were measured using qPCR, and urinary podocin protein levels were quantified via ELISA. Associations were assessed between these biomarkers and urinary protein-to-creatinine ratio (uPCR), albumin-to-creatinine ratio (uACR), and histologically confirmed podocytopathia. Diagnostic performance was evaluated using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis. Results: Higher urinary podocin protein levels were significantly associated with lower uACR (p = 0.007) and uPCR (p = 0.026). Neither podocin nor nephrin mRNA showed significant associations with proteinuria metrics. ROC analysis indicated that podocin ELISA (AUC = 0.350) and podocin mRNA (AUC = 0.510) lacked diagnostic accuracy for predicting renal involvement. The presence of urinary tract infection (UTI) was a significant confounder, leading to increased levels of podocin and nephrin mRNA. Conclusions: Urinary podocin shows a trend toward elevation in MM/MGRS patients with histological podocyte injury. The study revealed an unexpected inverse association between urinary podocin and albuminuria, suggesting complex release kinetics or stage mismatches in this population. Given the confounding effect of UTIs, and the pilot nature of this study, further research is required to validate these podocyte proteins as biomarkers in paraprotein-related kidney disease. Full article
(This article belongs to the Special Issue Nephrology: Diagnosis and Management, Second Edition)
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