Is there a role for newer biomarkers in chronic kidney disease-mineral and bone disorder management?

The current management of Chronic Kidney Disease-Mineral Bone Disorder (CKD-MBD) relies largely on clinical judgement and assessment of biochemical parameters including serum calcium, phosphate and intact parathyroid hormone concentrations. In the past two decades, there has been a leap in the understanding of the pathophysiology of CKD-MBD, leading to the discovery of novel biomarkers. The potential utility of these markers in this clinical setting is an area of intense investigation. In the absence of any guidelines aiding the clinician's understanding and application of these markers, we summarise the current available literature surrounding fibroblast growth factor-23, α-Klotho, sclerostin and serum calcification propensity testing and their respective assays in the context of CKD-MBD management.