protexam tests - Precision medicine for your patients
Personalized medicine in the clinic
We offer assistance with the individual diagnosis of diseases in your patients.
Here we will familiarize you with our tests registered as in-vitro diagnostics (IVD):
Chronic kidney diseases – differential diagnosis
(KDD test)
Chronic kidney diseases often develop over months to years and frequently go undetected in their early stages. protexam KDD test is a urine-based biomarker test based on proteomic analysis that can provide indications of early changes in kidney function.
The test supports risk assessment and, in combination with clinical findings, can help to better assess the individual risk for chronic kidney disease.
Differentiation of kidney diseases
In the case of conspicuous test results, the KDD test Indications of different forms of chronic kidney disease include:
- Diabetic nephropathy/Nephrosclerosis
- Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
- IgA nephropathy
- Minimal change glomerulonephritis
- ANCA-associated vasculitis
- Lupus nephritis
- Membranous nephropathy
In certain cases, this information can supplement or provide guidance on the necessity of a kidney biopsy as an invasive procedure, when a biopsy is appropriate.
Special clinical situations
In some cases, a kidney biopsy can be associated with higher risks, e.g.:
- Increased tendency to bleed
- Severe hypertension
- Presence of only one kidney
- Severe obesity
The KDD test delivers a non-invasive risk assessment in such situations.
Scientific basis
The biomarker-based analyses of the KDD test have been studied and validated in clinical trials. CE-MS technology (capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry) forms the basis for urine proteome analysis.
Selected publications:
- Good DM, et al. Naturally occurring human urinary peptides for use in diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. Mol Cell Proteomics 2010, 9(11):2424-37.
- Siwy J, et al. Noninvasive diagnosis of chronic kidney diseases using urinary proteome analysis. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2017, 32(12):2079-2089.
- Mavrogeorgis E, et al.Urinary peptidomic liquid biopsy for non-invasive differential diagnosis of chronic kidney disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2024, 39(3):453-462.
Cholangiokarzinom
(BPA-CC / UPA-CC tests)
Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) can have various causes, including narrowing of the bile ducts or, rarely, tumors. To determine the cause, an endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) is often performed. During this procedure, a special endoscope is guided through the stomach into the bile ducts, allowing bile samples to be collected.
BPA-CC test (bile juice)
The protexam BPA-CC test analyzes proteomic biomarkers in bile and can supplement the information obtained from an ERCP. It provides insights that can be helpful when findings regarding a bile duct tumor are unclear.
UPA-CC test (Urine)
The protexam UPA-CC test is a non-invasive urine test that is particularly well-suited for the close monitoring of patients with inflammation of the bile ducts. The test results can help identify early signs of a potential tumor risk, which, when combined with clinical diagnosis, supports timely treatment planning.
BPA/UPA-CC combination test
The combination of
bile and urine analysis (BPA/UPA-CC) provides an even more detailed risk assessment. It can improve the accuracy of diagnosis in patients with unclear bile duct findings, without replacing invasive procedures.
Scientific basis
The tests are based on the analysis of proteome biomarkers and have been validated in clinical trials.
Selected publication:
- Voigtländer T, et al. Bile and urine peptide marker profiles: access keys to molecular pathways and biological processes in cholangiocarcinoma. J Biomed Sci. 2020, 27(1):13.
- Voigtländer T, et al. A combined bile and urine proteomic test for cholangio-carcinoma diagnosis in patients with biliary strictures of unknown origin. United European Gastroenterol J. 2017, 5(5):668-676.
- Metzger J, et al. Urine proteomic analysis differentiates cholangiocarcinoma from primary sclerosing cholangitis and other benign biliary disorders. Good. 2013, 62(1):122-30.
- Lankan TO, et al. Bile proteomic profiles differentiate cholangiocarcinoma from primary sclerosing cholangitis and choledocholithiasis. Hepatology. 2011, 53(3):875-84.
Graft-versus-Host Disease (GvHD)
(UPA-GvHD test)
Blood stem cell transplants are commonly used to treat leukemia. One possible complication is graft-versus-host disease (GvHD), in which the recipient’s immune system mounts an immune response against the transplant. Approximately one-third to one-half of patients develop acute GvHD.
UPA-GvHD test
The protexam UPA-GvHD test is a urine-based biomarker test that can provide indications of the risk of acute GvHD. Studies show that the test can detect changes in the biomarker profile even before clinical symptoms appear.
The test results can help, in collaboration with the treating medical team:
- to assess the risk of GvHD at an early stage
- to plan and monitor therapeutic measures in a timely manner
Scientific basis
The analyses are based on CE-MS technology (capillary electrophoresis coupled with mass spectrometry) and have been validated in clinical studies.
Selected publication:
- Weissinger EM, et al. Proteomic peptide profiling for preemptive diagnosis of acute graft-versus-host disease after allogeneic stem cell transplantation. Leukemia. 2014, 28(4):842-52.