| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
| Web: | mayocliniclabs.com |
|---|---|
| Email: | mcl@mayo.edu |
| Telephone: | 800-533-1710 |
| International: | +1 855-379-3115 |
| Values are valid only on day of printing | |
Assay identifies most known membranous nephropathy antigens
Answers From the Lab
Sanjeev Sethi, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new mass spectrometry test (Mayo ID: MSMN) identifies most antigens now known to cause membranous nephropathy. Precise identification of antigens is important for optimal management of this serious kidney disease.
Membranous nephropathy is an autoimmune disease that damages blood vessels in the kidneys. In this test-specific episode of the "Answers From the Lab" podcast, Sanjeev Sethi, M.D., Ph.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new mass spectrometry test (Mayo ID: MSMN) identifies 13 antigens known to cause the disease, to guide precise patient treatment.
Standard membranous nephropathy tests identify only single target antigens, including PLA2R, the most common cause. However, PLA2R isn't present in up to 40% of cases.
"In the past we have lumped these PLA2R-negative cases into one group," Dr. Sethi says. "But each of the known antigens have very different prognoses and outcomes. Membranous nephropathy is fairly severe. It is important to find the antigen in each case."
Mayo Clinic Laboratories' new assay requires just a single small tissue sample to identify 13 antigens. "The mass spectrometry test is very specific and quite sensitive," Dr. Sethi says. "You no longer have to cut 10 or 20 sections of tissue for multiple tests. It's a one-stop test."
Membranous nephropathy can be associated with widely varying diseases, including lupus and syphilis. "We know that these patients are a very heterogeneous group," Dr. Sethi says. "We cannot go back to lumping them into one big black box."
Listen to learn more about Mayo Clinic Laboratories' mass spectrometry testing for membranous nephrology.
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