Latest News

NIH study finds genetic clues to major cause of kidney disease worldwide

For the first time, researchers have found five regions in the human genome that increase susceptibility to immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy, a major cause of kidney failure. 

Researchers looked at the genes of 3,144 people of Chinese and European ancestry, all of whom have IgA nephropathy. The disease occurs when abnormal IgA antibodies deposit on the delicate filtering portion of the kidney and form tangles.The immune system tries to get rid of the tangles, but the kidneys are caught in the crossfire, further destroying the delicate filters. 

Worldwide prevalence of IgA nephropathy appears highest in Asia and southern Europe, and is responsible for most cases of kidney failure in those populations. The U.S. prevalence is much lower — up to 10%, although Native Americans from New Mexico have reported rates as high as 38%. 

"The study is unique in identifying the biological pathways that mediate IgA nephropathy, mapping the way for further study that may reveal practical targets for diagnosis and treatment," said Dr. Ali Gharavi, Division of Nephrology at Columbia University in New York City, the principal investigator. 

"The cause and development of IgA nephropathy is poorly understood. Many biological pathways have been suggested, but none has been conclusive until now," he said. 

The ongoing genome-wide association study is funded by the National Institutes of Health’s Office of the Director, National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (NIDDK) and National Center for Research Resources, under an NIH Challenge Grant. The project is a part of the $10.4 billion provided to NIH through the Recovery Act. Results were published in the April issue of Nature Genetics.

The findings resulted from long-term collaborations among investigators in the United States, Italy and China. "This worldwide collaboration was critical to achieve sufficient momentum for the study and make progress in the field," said Gharavi. He and study co-principal investigator, Dr. Richard Lifton at Yale University in New Haven, Conn., will recruit another 5,000 patients worldwide.