Methods and compositions for analysis of urine samples in the diagnosis and treatment of kidney diseases

A method of assessing the presence of podocytes in a mammalian urine sample, comprising the steps of:

• providing a mammalian urine sample that selectively contains one or more podocytes;
• determining the level of expression of the podocyte gene for nephrin in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay;
• and
• determining the level of expression of a constitutively expressed gene in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

A method of assessing the presence of podocytes in a human urine sample, comprising the steps of:

• providing a human urine sample that selectively contains one or more RNA molecules from at least one podocyte;
• and
• determining the level of expression of the podocyte gene for nephrin in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, wherein said assay comprises said one or more RNA molecules and one or more of an excess primer SEQ ID NO:
• 1, a limiting primer SEQ ID NO:
• 2, or a probe SEQ ID NO:
• 3.

A method of assessing the presence of proximal tubule cells in a mammalian urine sample, comprising the steps of:

• providing a mammalian urine sample that selectively contains one or more proximal tubule cells;
• determining the level of expression of the proximal tubule cell gene for Indian hedgehog in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay;
• and
• determining the level of expression of a gene for β-actin in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

A method of assessing the presence of proximal tubule cells in a human urine sample, comprising the steps of:

• providing a human urine sample that selectively contains one or more RNA molecules from at least one proximal tubule cells;
• and
• determining the level of expression of the proximal tubule cell gene for Indian hedgehog in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, wherein said assay comprises said one or more RNA molecules and one or more of a forward primer SEQ ID NO:
• 4, a reverse primer SEQ ID NO:
• 5, and a probe SEQ ID NO:
• 6.

A method of diagnosing, and monitoring the course of, mammalian kidney disease, comprising the steps of:

• providing a mammalian urine sample that selectively contains one or more podocytes;
• determining the level of expression of the podocyte gene for nephrin in the urine ample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay;
• and
• determining the level of expression of a gene for β-actin in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

A method of diagnosing, and monitoring the course of, human kidney disease, comprising the steps of:

• providing a human urine sample that selectively contains one or more RNA molecules from at least one podocyte;
• and
• determining the level of expression of the podocyte gene for nephrin in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, wherein said assay comprises said one or more RNA molecules and one or more of an excess primer SEQ ID NO:
• 1, a limiting primer SEQ ID NO:
• 2, or a probe SEQ ID NO:
• 3.

A method of diagnosing, and monitoring the course of, mammalian kidney disease, comprising the steps of:

• providing a mammalian urine sample that selectively contains one or more proximal tubule cells;
• determining the level of expression of the proximal tubule cell gene for Indian hedgehog in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay;
• and
• determining the level of expression of a gene for β-actin in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay.

A method of diagnosing, and monitoring the course of, human kidney disease, comprising the steps of:

• providing a human urine sample that selectively contains one or more RNA molecules from at least one proximal tubule cells;
• and
• determining the level of expression of the proximal tubule cell gene for Indian hedgehog in the urine sample by reverse transcriptase quantitative polymerase chain reaction assay, wherein said assay comprises said one or more RNA molecules and one or more of a forward primer SEQ ID NO:
• 4, a reverse primer SEQ ID NO:
• 5, and a probe SEQ ID NO:
• 6.