Clinical and laboratory markers of autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) progression: an overview.

Autosomal dominant polycystic kidney (ADPKD) is the most common inherited renal cystic disease and it occurs in all races, the reported prevalence is between 1:400 and 1:1000. It is characterized by development of cysts in both kidneys and progressive renal function loss. Among most Autosomal Dominant Polycystic Kidney patients, renal function remains intact until the fourth decade of life. It is very important to identify early markers of disease progression to recognize patients with a worse prognosis. The aim of this study is to review the clinical and laboratory markers of ADPKD progression. The early clinical parameters evaluated seem to be directly correlated with the volume of the cysts that determine the kidney volume. From a clinical point of view, total kidney volume (TKV) appears to be the best marker of early ADPKD progression. This review evaluated several ADPKD progression markers comparing the early consolidated clinical and the new promising laboratory indicators. From a laboratory point of view, copeptin has a potential role between the serum biomarkers of ADPKD progression. However, further studies are necessary to validate the potential predictive value of its serum level and to adopt it for routine use. The combination of biomarkers could probably predict ADPKD progression with more accuracy than the use of a single biomarker.