University of Ibadan researchers develop cheap, effective
saliva test for bad kidneys
November 3, 2016
TEAM of researchers at the University of
Ibadan have developed an effective and cheap test to help diagnose bad or
failed kidneys, a potentially vital tool for identifying acute kidney injury in
resource-strapped settings.
Dr Taye Lasisi speaking at the side line of
the Research Day 2016 of the College of Medicine, Ibadan, Ibadan stated that
the effectiveness of the saliva based test marches that using blood or urine to
check for a bad kidney.
In evaluating the diagnostic potential of
saliva, the team which included Dr Yemi Raji and Professor Babatunde Salako,
compared the levels of creatinine and urea in blood and saliva of patients with
chronic kidney disease in comparison to healthy individuals.
The cross sectional study included 50 patients
diagnosed with chronic kidney disease, 50 patients with chronic kidney disease
undergoing dialysis and 49 healthy individuals.
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Results of the urea and creatinine levels in
blood and saliva samples were similar; given the saliva test in individuals
with chronic kidney disease sensitivity and specificity of 98 per cent and 886
per cent, respectively when compared with healthy individuals.
In addition, there was positive correlation
between urea and creatinine levels in blood and saliva samples collected before
and after in persons undergoing dialysis.
Creatinine is a waste product that comes from
the normal wear and tear on muscles of the body. The level of creatinine in the
blood rises, if kidney disease progresses.
Considering that the levels of the level of
creatinine and urea in the saliva of patients with chronic kidney disease
reflects their levels in blood, they indicated the possibility of using saliva
as an alternative to blood in the diagnosis and monitoring of chronic kidney
disease.
Dr Lasisi, however, stated the need for
further collaboration with other experts to develop a test kit that uses saliva
to diagnosis and monitoring of chronic kidney disease.
This, she stated, would ensure that the saliva
test can be carried out by the bedside instead of taking the sample to the
laboratory. Also, no special training or equipment is required for sample
collection and storage.
Saliva is a unique body fluid and like
blood-based analyses., it has been used to identify individuals with disease
and to follow the progress of the affected individual under treatment.
Before now, little was heard of kidney failure
as a major kind of everyday illness, but the reverse has become the case in
recent times. The increasing burden of chronic kidney disease and end-stage
renal disease presents a challenge for both developed and emerging countries
like Nigeria.
Experts have said that 36.8 million Nigerians
(23 per cent) are suffering from various stages of kidney disease in Nigeria,
means that one in seven Nigerians is suffering from some form of kidney
disorder or another.
Causes of chronic kidney diseases are
numerous; the most common causes are diabetes mellitus and long-term
uncontrolled hypertension. Others include: Polycystic kidney disease, overuse
of common drugs such as aspirin, ibuprofen, and paracetamol.
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