Use of shroom3 in chronic kidney disease and chronic allograft nephropathy

Abstract

A method for identifying the risk of developing Chronic Allograft Nephropathy (CAN) in a patient that received a kidney transplant from a donor which comprises identifying the race of the donor; determining the levels of SHROOM 3 expression in a kidney biopsy specimen obtained from the patient at a predetermined time after transplant; comparing the level of SHROOM 3 expression in the biopsy specimen with the levels of SHROOM 3 expression in a control; determining if the level of SHROOM 3 expression in the allograft is significantly higher than in the control, and diagnosing the patient as being at risk for CAN if the level of SHROOM 3 expression in the specimen is significantly higher than in the control.

1 .- 17 . (canceled) 
     
     
         18 . A method for determining if a Caucasian allograft recipient that received a kidney allograft from a Caucasian kidney donor is at risk for allograft rejection which comprises the steps of
 determining the levels of SHROOM 3 expression in a kidney biopsy specimen obtained from the allograft recipient at a predetermined time after transplant;   comparing the level of SHROOM 3 expression in the biopsy specimen with the levels of SHROOM 3 expression in control biopsies obtained from normal subjects;   wherein if the level of SHROOM 3 expression in the allograft is higher than the expression levels of SHROOM 3 in a control the allograft recipient is at risk for allograft rejection.   
     
     
         19 . The method of  claim 18  comprising administering an immunosuppressive agent to the allograft recipient at risk for allograft rejection. 
     
     
         20 . The method of  claim 19  wherein said immunosuppressive agent is cyclosporin. 
     
     
         21 . The method of  claim 18  which comprises administering an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor to said allograft recipient. 
     
     
         22 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said levels of Shroom3 expression are determined by Real Time Polymerase Chain Reaction (RT-PCR). 
     
     
         23 . The method of  claim 18  wherein said allograft recipient at risk for allograft rejection is suffering from a disease selected from the group consisting of Chronic Allograft Nephropathy (CAN), Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD), obstructive uropathy, HIV-associated nephropathy, diabetic nephropathy and fibrosis. 
     
     
         24 . A kit for identifying renal allograft recipients at risk for developing CAN or CKD selected from the group consisting of obstructive uropathy, HIV-associated nephropathy and diabetic nephropathy comprising in separate containers primers for RT-PCR SHROOM3 expression assays, a microarray for gene expression analysis and primers for RT-PCR analysis of the rs17319721 risk allele, buffers and instructions for use. 
     
     
         25 . A method for identifying the risk of developing fibrosis in a Caucasian kidney allograft recipient after receiving a kidney transplant from a Caucasian donor, comprising the steps of:
 determining if said donor expresses the rs 17319721 SNP risk allele;   conducting a genetic analysis to determine if said donor is homozygous for said risk allele;   wherein if said donor is homozygous for said risk allele then said allograft recipient is at risk for fibrosis.   
     
     
         26 . The method of  claim 18  which comprises treating the allograft recipient determined to be at risk for allograft rejection with an anti-rejection agent.