Are Increased Levels of Nitric Oxide a Sign of Kidney Damage in Lupus?
Lupus disease activity often occurs without any apparent signs or symptoms. This is especially true when lupus affects the kidneys, which is known as lupus nephritis. It is even possible for lupus to cause significant kidney damage even before a patient is diagnosed. Though there may be no visible symptoms, there are chemical changes occurring in the cells and tissues that can be measured. Therefore, a major emphasis among lupus researchers is to find ways to tell if simple laboratory tests can be used to detect otherwise silent lupus disease activity. A laboratory test that can be used in this way is called a biomarker. One potential biomarker that is being investigated is nitric oxide (chemical symbol, NO), since it is one of the chemicals involved in the body’s immune response. Read more >> Research Summaries from 2007 New Tests for Detecting Lupus Kidney Disease? If the kidneys are damaged, they can lose their ability to filter out waste products from the blood and serious health c
