March is National Kidney Month, a time to raise awareness about kidney disease across the country. This year the NIH/NIDDK will focus on the link between high blood pressure and kidney disease. High blood pressure, also known as hypertension, is an increase in the amount of force that blood places on blood vessels as it moves through the body. If you have hypertension, you’re at risk for chronic kidney disease (CKD), a serious condition that can lead to stroke, heart attack, kidney failure, and death. Below we look at biomarkers related to hypertension, CKD, AKI, IgA Nephropathy (IgAN) and more.

Alpha-Klotho (α-Klotho)

α-Klotho is widely measured in CKD research. It is a one-transmembrane protein (130 kDa) that is expressed in kidneys and the parathyroid glands and it has an important role for regulating mineral metabolism. α-Klotho functions as a coreceptor of FGF receptors to activate specific fibroblast growth factor 23 (FGF23) signal pathway. Studies have shown the expression level of α-klotho decreases in subjects with CKD and is accompanied by renal disorders. The IBL human soluble a-Klotho ELISA specifically detects human soluble a -Klotho, KL1 and KL1+KL2.

Human soluble a-Klotho ELISA (Cat# 27998)

Mouse soluble a-Klotho (Cat# 27601)

Angiotensinogen (AGT)

Angiotensinogen (AGT) is an essential component of the renin-angiotensin system (RAS), which regulates blood pressure, body fluid and electrolyte homeostasis. AGT has been highlighted in many studies surrounding hypertension and renal disease. Recently it has been suggested enhanced urinary AGT levels may be a potential biomarker of chronic kidney disease. This makes AGT a very useful biomarker for researchers and drug developers. The IBL human Total AGT ELISA detects both human Intact (Full-Length) and Des AI AGT that is cleaved by renin. The IBL human Intact AGT ELISA specifically detects only human Intact AGT.

Human Total Angiotensinogen ELISA (Cat# 27412)

Human Intact Angiotensinogen ELISA (Cat# 27742)

Galactose-deficient IgAl (Gd-IgAl)

Gd-IgA1 attracts a lot of attention as a critical effector molecule in the pathogenesis and progression of IgA Nephropathy (lgAN) in recent research.

The IBL ELISA kit, using a monoclonal antibody (KM55) that specifically recognizes the galactose-deficient hinge sequence of human Gd-IgAl, is a lectin non-dependent measuring system that can quantitatively measure Gd-IgAl in human serum. It is also suitable for large scale studies because of its stability. The IBL Human Gd-IgA1 ELISA specifically detects human Gd-IgA1 and the IBL Gd-IgAl (KM55) monoclonal antibody can be used for IHC. 

Human Gd-IgA1 ELISA (Cat# 27600)

Gd-IgA1 (KM55) Anti-Human Rat IgG Monoclonal Antibody (Cat# 10777)

Soluble (Pro)Renin Receptor (PRR)

The (pro)renin receptor (PRR) is a multifunctional protein that is expressed in many organs. Binding of prorenin/renin to PRR activates angiotensin II–dependent and angiotensin II–independent pathways. Emerging evidence suggests that PRR plays an important role in blood pressure regulation and glucose and lipid metabolism. The IBL Human Soluble (pro)renin receptor ELISA detects soluble PRR in serum, EDTA-plasma, and urine.

Soluble (Pro)Renin Receptor (PRR) ELISA (Cat# 27782)

Apoptosis Inhibitor of Macrophage (AIM) / CD5L

Acute kidney injury (AKI) is associated with prolonged hospitalization, high mortality and predisposes individuals to CKD. Studies show AIM (Apoptosis Inhibitor of Macrophage) protein on intraluminal debris interacts with Kidney Injury Molecule (KIM)-1 and promotes recovery from AKI. More studies are needed to provide a basis for the development of potentially novel AKI therapies. IBL offers a unique research assay for the determination of human soluble AIM/CD5L in serum and EDTA-plasma.

AIM / CD5L ELISA (Cat #27265)

These products are for Research Use Only