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Can Genes Predict Kidney Disease?

Posted on: Thursday, 14 May 2009, 09:54 CDT

A new study reveals three genes that contain common mutations may put some people at a higher risk for kidney disease.

More than 20 million adults in the United States have chronic kidney disease. The progression of the disease can lead to kidney failure and the need for dialysis or transplantation. In addition, kidney disease increases the risk of cardiovascular illnesses, death and medication side effects.

In this new study, a research team looked at more than 20,000 people enrolled in four heart disease trials . They also replicated their findings in another 20,000 participants.

The investigators found strong statistical evidence that showed three genes -- UMOD, SHROOM3 and STC1 -- were novel risk genes for reduced kidney function and chronic kidney disease. One of the genes -- UMOD -- produces the Tamm-Horsfall protein, which is the most common protein in the urine of healthy individuals. Until this time, the Tamm-Horsfall protein was not well understood, and its relationship to chronic kidney disease risk was unknown.

"For all three genes, the findings are novel and suggest brand new areas for investigation including the need for developing methods to measure levels in urine or blood," Josef Coresh, M.D., Ph.D., M.H.S., professor in the Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health departments of Epidemiology and Biostatistics, said in a press release.


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