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A non-invasive urine-based test for early diagnosis of kidney disease has been launched.
US-based company Nephrocor claims its RenalVysion product identifies and measures urinary sediment findings not detected in routine urinalysis.
Medical director Dr William Glass said these highly specific results allowed anatomical localisation of injury in the kidney and of severity of disease.
He said the product incorporated technology with up to 91% accuracy in diagnosis according to comparative studies with kidney biopsies for glomerular disease.
He went on: “RenalVysion permits the pathologist to distinguish important categories of renal and bladder lesions by integrating urine cytopathlogy and quantitative and qualitative urine chemistries.”
The product could be referred to as a “liquid biopsy”, since it could help physicians monitor acute and chronic renal diseases.
“This test provides the clinician with critical information that can provide diagnostic insight and inform therapeutic decisions,” said Dr Glass.
Undetected kidney disease was widespread, yet accurate tests for early diagnosis were lacking.
Dr Glass said biopsy was an expensive invasive technique often used only in late stages of disease.
However, the new product allowed early diagnosis, optimising the likelihood of success with kidney-sparing treatment.
