Blood, urine and faecal metabolite profiles in the study of adult renal disease

Metabolomics is a promising tool to identify markers of renal disease since the kidneys are involved in the handling of major biochemical classes of metabolites. These metabolite levels capture a snap-shot of the metabolic profile of the individual, allowing for the potential identification of early biomarkers, and the monitoring of real-time kidney function. In this review, we describe the current status of the identification of blood/urine/faecal metabolic biomarkers in different entities of kidney diseases including: acute kidney injury, chronic kidney disease, renal transplant, diabetic nephropathy and other disorders.