Non-invasive markers of ureteropelvic junction obstruction

Non-invasive prognosis of the clinical progression of disease is of high interest, especially in newborn and children. Neonatal ureteropelvic (UPJ) junction obstruction needs close and invasive surveillance to determine the necessity of pyeloplasty. A number of groups have initiated research with the aim to find non-invasive biomarkers for UPJ obstruction. Two different strategies have been followed. One strategy, based on the knowledge obtained in animal models of UPJ obstruction, has identified a number of individual urinary markers of severe UPJ obstruction. Combining these markers might allow prediction of which patients will require surgery and in which patients UPJ obstruction will spontaneously resolve. The other strategy is based on urinary proteomics. In this strategy the entire urinary proteome is probed for a set of biomarkers that correlates with the degree of UPJ obstruction. In subsequent steps, these sets of urinary biomarkers are used for prediction of the clinical evolution of UPJ obstruction patients. This proteomic-based strategy allowed prediction, several months in advance, of the clinical evolution of neonates with UPJ-obstruction. Both strategies will be complementary and will hopefully replace in the near future the invasive follow-up of newborns with UPJ obstruction.