IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is a chronic autoimmune kidney disease, and the most common inflammatory kidney disease in Australia.

This study will develop an early prognostic test that predicts long-term health outcomes in people with IgAN. The test will distinguish patients with non-progressive disease versus those likely to progress to kidney failure, providing clinicians with the first tool for personalised management of IgAN.

IgA (immunogolbulin A) is a crucial antibody protein in our immune system. In IgAN, the IgA proteins clump together and impact kidney function.

The progress of IgAN is significantly different between individual patients. Whilst about 60% of IgAN patients have mild symptoms, the remaining 40% will progress to kidney failure within 10 years of diagnosis.

IgAN is a significant clinical issue because it is both common and targets young people (IgAN diagnosis peaks at about 30 years of age), leaving patients with decades of uncertainty, impaired health and lost productivity in their peak work years. Its cause is poorly understood and there is no targeted cure.

Our development of a ‘first-in-human’ prognostic test will be a paradigm shift in how we manage IgAN patients.

It is anticipated this test will improve certainity of diagnosis, reduce hospital stays and provide low-risk patients with the reassurance of safe discharge back to close-to-home care.