Serum levels of WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein-1 (WISP-1): a noninvasive biomarker of renal fibrosis in subjects with chronic kidney disease

• Published in: American journal of translational research Vol. 9; no. 6; pp. 2920 - 2932
• Main Authors: Zhong, Xiang, Tu, Yue Ju, Li, Yi, Zhang, Ping, Wang, Wei, Chen, Sha Sha, Li, Li, Chung, Arthur Ck, Lan, Hui Yao, Chen, Hai Yong, Li, Gui Sen, Wang, Li
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: United States e-Century Publishing Corporation 01.01.2017
• Subjects: Original; WISP-1; chronic kidney disease; biomarker; renal fibrosis
• ISSN: 1943-8141; 1943-8141

WNT1-inducible signaling pathway protein-1 (WISP-1) is an extracellular matrix-related protein that plays multiple roles in cellular physiology and pathology. Accumulating evidence shows that WISP-1 is involved in the process underlying fibrotic diseases. However, the correlation between WISP-1 and renal fibrosis is unknown. In this study, we hypothesized that WISP-1 levels might be correlated with renal fibrosis and could be used as a noninvasive biomarker to screen for renal fibrosis in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD). We first measured the WISP-1 expression levels using a transforming growth factor-β (TGF-β)-induced renal fibrosis tubular epithelial cell (TEC) model and a mouse model of obstructive nephropathy. We then evaluated the correlation between serum WISP-1 levels and fibrosis scores in biopsy-proven renal fibrosis of patients with CKD. Based on the findings from both and studies, the levels of WISP-1 and fibrotic parameters (collagen I, fibronectin and α-smooth muscle actin) were significantly increased in the fibrotic models. Consistently, patients with focal proliferative IgA nephropathy, focal segmental glomerular sclerosis and diabetic nephropathy displayed markedly elevated serum WISP-1 levels and fibrosis scores of renal biopsies compared with normal subjects and patients with minimal change disease (P<0.05). Importantly, the serum WISP-1 levels were positively correlated with fibrosis scores in the renal biopsies of these patients (r=0.475, P=0.0001). Thus, serum WISP-1 levels may be used as a potential noninvasive biomarker of renal fibrosis in patients with CKD.