Chronic kidney disease affects 1 in 10 people worldwide and this figure is likely to continue to rise. It can lead to kidney failure, and is associated with increased heart disease, disability, symptoms, and early death. Kidney scarring is the best predictor for kidney failure and currently can only be diagnosed on kidney biopsy which is an invasive procedure with potential risks. MRI is now used to assess for scarring in the heart and liver, and has great potential in the kidney.
We are seeking healthy volunteers who will have a kidney MRI (without a biopsy) to establish a normal reference range. In this study, individuals with chronic kidney disease who are planned for a kidney biopsy will undergo a kidney MRI. The amount of scarring on their biopsy will be compared with their MRI findings. Kidney markers on blood and urine samples will also be checked in all participants, which is part of standard care in chronic kidney disease.
The outcomes of this research will hopefully help doctors to identify patients more at risk of developing kidney failure and guide treatment decisions using a non-invasive tool.
What to expect for healthy volunteers: A standard blood and urine test, and a kidney MRI with contrast injection for a total of 60 minutes.
You may be eligible to participate in this study if you:
Healthy volunteers:
Exclusion criteria:
If you are interested in assisting with this important and exciting area of research, please contact the study facilitator: dana.kim@sydney.edu.au
Ethics committee approval number: 2022/ETH00972