Chronic kidney disease in Nord-Trøndelag: Risk evaluation and screening tests using clinical epidemiology and modern laboratory techniques.

Over the past 30 years high blood pressure and diabetes, i.e. lifestyle-related causes, have become the most important kidney failure risks. The treatment is among the most expencive in medicine, patients have a low quality of life, and mortality rates ar e compareable to breastcancer with metastases. However, treatment started in the early stages could be much more effective, but little is known about the metabolic changes induced by lifestyle related kidney disease. Such knowledge is potentially importa nt for finding new treatment options and markers of serious disease. NTNU Kidney Research Group have published many studies on early kidney disease in high-ranked international journals using epidemiological data from the HUNT studies. However, to move forwards more basic research is needed. We collaborate closely with the Department of Biotechnolgy at NTNU, which has a large laboratory with state-of-the-art instruments for analysing small molecules (metabolomics; "the systematic study of the unique che mical fingerprints that specific cellular processes leave behind"). However, no research groups in Norway have much experience with such analysis in urine. University of California, San Diego represent an exciting mix of several research methods. The Ra ncho Bernando cohort represents a long and strong experience in epidemiological research. UCSD School of Medicine is among the top 10 US institutions in clinical kidney medicine. They are also running a highly reputated metabolomics laboratory studying di abetes nephropathy. Recently, UCSD was established as one of four US core facilities for metabolomics research. Our research plan is now to continue to develop and run urine analysis her at NTNU for the next 12 months and then visit UCSD for general disc ussions, learn about new metabolomic techniques, run new analysis on our urine samples, and get help from world-class scientists in the very complicated interpretation our urine results.