Editorial Comments 1347..1351

Fine needle kidney biopsy with subsequent analysis of the tissue core by light microscopy and immunhistology is currently the diagnostic gold standard in nephrology [1]. The addition of immunofluorescence and electron microscopic techniques into routine biopsy processing enabled a further refinement of the diagnostic categories used [2]. Despite recent developments in molecular biology most intrinsic renal diseases are still of unknown aetiology and are classified according to descriptive diagnostic criteria resulting in treatment with non-specific therapies. The human genomic information now available opens a wide range of new opportunities in biomedicine [3,4]. A comprehensive description of mRNA levels encoding functionally relevant molecules could play an important role in molecular analysis and understanding of human disease [5]. Identification of specific mRNA expression pattern in diseased tissues and their correlation with diagnosis, prognosis and response to the different treatments available could be a promising immediate clinical application. In addition, the study of gene expression analysis should provide valuable information about the nature and prognosis of disease and should lead to the identification of novel therapeutic targets.