67833 - Multidisciplinary Seminar for Specific Studies

Learning outcomes

Upon successful completion of this course, students will be able to describe the laboratory diagnostic pathway of major glomerular diseases, explain the principles and applications of conventional and advanced diagnostic techniques, and recognize the role of the Biomedical Laboratory Scientist in the multidisciplinary diagnosis of renal diseases and precision medicine.

Course contents

The course is structured into three integrated modules:

Module 1 – The Laboratory in the Diagnosis of Glomerular Diseases: From Clinical Foundations to Biological Specimens

Objective: To understand the clinical rationale behind laboratory investigations and the biological significance of the main diagnostic biomarkers.

Contents

• Overview of glomerular anatomy and physiology.

• Classification of the major glomerular diseases:

  • Nephrotic syndrome;

  • Nephritic syndrome;

  • Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN);

  • Immune complex-mediated glomerulopathies;

  • Podocytopathies.

• Laboratory investigations:

  • Urinalysis;

  • Urinary sediment examination;

  • Proteinuria and albuminuria;

  • Biomarkers of kidney function;

  • Complement testing;

  • Autoantibodies (ANCA, anti-GBM, ANA, etc.).

• Pre-analytical phase:

  • Blood and urine specimen collection and handling;

  • Quality control;

  • Sources of analytical error.

Integrated Clinical Case

"From Hematuria to Kidney Biopsy": interpretation of laboratory findings as a guide to diagnosis.

Module 2 – Kidney Biopsy: Pathological Assessment and Laboratory Techniques

Objective: To understand the processing of renal biopsy specimens and the diagnostic contribution of each laboratory technique.

Contents

• Indications for kidney biopsy.

• Specimen handling and processing:

  • Tissue allocation for light microscopy;

  • Immunofluorescence;

  • Electron microscopy.

• Histopathology:

  • Routine histological stains;

  • Basic glomerular pathological lesions.

• Immunofluorescence:

  • Technical principles;

  • Diagnostic staining patterns;

  • Interpretation.

• Immunohistochemistry (Immunoperoxidase):

  • Clinical indications;

  • Advantages and limitations.

• Electron microscopy:

  • Specimen preparation;

  • Glomerular ultrastructure;

  • Major ultrastructural diagnostic findings.

Integrated Clinical Case

Correlation of findings from:

• Clinical laboratory investigations;

• Light microscopy;

• Immunofluorescence (IF);

• Electron microscopy (EM),
  leading to the final diagnosis.

Module 3 – Advanced Diagnostics and Precision Medicine in Glomerular Diseases

Objective: To introduce emerging technologies and their role in modern diagnostic nephropathology.

Contents

• Genetics of glomerular diseases:

  • Indications for genetic testing;

  • Next-generation sequencing (NGS) panels;

  • Major disease-associated genes (COL4A3–COL4A5, NPHS1, NPHS2, WT1, INF2, APOL1, etc.).

• Mass spectrometry:

  • Principles;

  • Applications in amyloidosis;

  • Identification of protein deposits;

  • Future perspectives.

• Multidisciplinary diagnostic integration:

  • Clinical nephrology;

  • Clinical laboratory;

  • Renal pathology;

  • Genetics;

  • Proteomics.

• The role of the Biomedical Laboratory Scientist (BLS) in precision medicine. 

Integrated Final Clinical Case

A comprehensive diagnostic workflow including:

• Clinical presentation;

• Blood and urine laboratory investigations;

• Kidney biopsy;

• Immunofluorescence (IF);

• Electron microscopy (EM);

• Genetic testing;

• Mass spectrometry;

• Final integrated diagnosis.

Readings/Bibliography

Silva's diagnostic renal pathology. Cambridge University Press. II edizione. 2017.

Teaching methods

Frontal teaching with practical examples. Team work.

Assessment methods

Written paper on a topic assigned to the student.

The assignment will be evaluated according to the following criteria:

Scientific accuracy and completeness of the content 30%

Understanding and integration of laboratory, histopathology, and clinical findings 25%

 Critical analysis and use of current scientific literature 20%

Organization, clarity, and logical structure of the paper 15%

Quality of writing, correct scientific terminology, and referencing 10%

The paper must include appropriate references using a recognized citation style (e.g., Vancouver or APA). Students are expected to use primary scientific literature whenever possible.

Regarding the assessment of learning outcomes, the limited, declared, and non-substantive use of artificial intelligence (AI) is permitted for support activities, such as summarization and text rephrasing. Substantive use of AI to complete any part of the assessment is not permitted.

Teaching tools

Video projector, PC, mobile app for interactive teaching.

Office hours

See the website of Gianandrea Pasquinelli

See the website of Gastone Castellani