Urinary Dickkopf-3 and kidney injury in patients with chronic pulmonary disease.

Dickkopf-related protein 3 is a stress-induced, epithelial cell-derived glycoprotein that is promoted as a prognostic as well as a predictive urinary biomarker in acute and chronic kidney disease. Schunk et al. provided evidence that Dickkopf-related protein 3 identifies patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease and preserved kidney function at increased risk for a loss of estimated glomerular filtration rate and deterioration of pulmonary function. Experimental data highlighted Dickkopf-related protein 3-related pathophysiological similarities and interactions between chronic kidney disease and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.