Renal disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. A role for vasopressin?

PhD ceremony: Ms. E. Meijer, 16.15 uur, Academiegebouw, Broerstraat 5, Groningen

Title: Renal disease progression in autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease. A role for vasopressin?

Promotor(s): prof. P.E. de Jong

Faculty: Medical Sciences

This thesis (divided into three parts) focuses on markers of disease severity in ADPKD, on a potential detrimental role of endogenous vasopressin and on the applicability of V2RA in ADPKD. Part 1 illustrates that renal function is not an appropriate marker for disease severity in an early stage of ADPKD. Renal blood flow, renal volume and NGAL (a urinary damage marker) could be measured instead. In part 2, we found indications that indeed endogenous vasopressin can have a detrimental role in causing renal damage in healthy subjects, in renal transplant recipients and in ADPKD patients. In part 3, the study design of a randomized controlled trial investigating the efficacy of V2RA in ADPKD is discussed.