Hepcidins as biomarkers for impending lupus nephritis flare

1. A method of analyzing a subject sample to identify at least a beginning of a kidney flare episode in a subject suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), comprising:

i) assaying at least one urine sample from the subject for the amounts of hepcidin-20 and hepcidin-25, and

ii) characterizing the subject's risk of having a kidney flare episode within about four months based upon the amounts of hepcidin-20 and hepcidin-25 measured in the at least one urine sample,

wherein the subject is characterized as being at risk of having a kidney flare episode within about four months when there is an increase in hepcidin-20 and a decrease in hepcidin-25 in the at least one urine sample, as compared to predetermined threshold levels.

2. The method of claim 1 , wherein the predetermined threshold levels comprise levels of hepcidin-20 and hepcidin-25 measured in at least one additional urine sample taken from the subject at a point in time prior to the assaying step i).

3. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes assaying at least one additional urine sample taken from the subject taken at a point in time prior to the assaying of the at least one urine sample in step i).

4. The method of claim 1 , wherein the method further includes assaying at least one additional urine sample taken from the subject taken at a point in time after the assaying of the at least one urine sample in step i).

5. A diagnostic method, comprising:

determining the concentrations of hepcidin-20 and hepcidin-25 in a urine sample from a subject suffering from systemic lupus erythematosus,

and diagnosing the subject as being likely to suffer a kidney flare episode within about four months when the hepcidin-20 concentration in the urine sample is increased relative to a threshold hepcidin-20 concentration and the hepcidin-25 concentration in the urine sample is decreased relative to a threshold hepcidin-25 concentration;

wherein a lack of an increase in hepcidin-20 in the sample relative to the threshold hepcidin-20 concentration and a lack of a decrease in hepcidin-25 concentration relative to the threshold hepcidin-25 concentration indicates that a kidney flare episode is not likely to occur in the subject within about four months.

6. The method of claim 5 , wherein the increase in hepcidin-20 is present at about four months prior to presentation of symptoms of the kidney flare episode.

7. The method of claim 5 , wherein the decrease in hepcidin-25 is present at about two months prior to presentation of symptoms of the kidney flare episode.