Uromodulin levels may indicate risk for kidney failure

Prior studies of uromodulin, the most abundant protein in urine, and kidney disease have focused primarily on urinary uromodulin levels. A study, published in the American Journal of Kidney Diseases (AJKD), evaluated associations of serum uromodulin levels with risk of end-stage kidney disease and mortality in a cohort of African American adults with hypertension and chronic kidney disease.

The research found that participants with lower levels of uromodulin at baseline were more likely to develop end-stage kidney disease, even after accounting for baseline kidney measures.

Similarly, participants who experienced steeper annual declines in uromodulin also had a heightened risk kidney failure. Neither baseline nor annual change in uromodulin was associated with mortality. Levels of uromodulin can be impacted by conventional treatments, such as intensive blood pressure control and ramipril therapy. Serum uromodulin is a promising biomarker of kidney health.