APOL1 gene that appears to protect people from sleeping sickness in Africa, could be related to the African Americans are four times more likely to develop kidney problems, according to a study by researchers at Harvard University in the United States, and the Free University of Brussels, Belgium, published in Science.
As explained study leader, Dr. Martin Pollak, the results help to understand "why blacks in America are much more likely to suffer from kidney disease and could lead to new treatments or preventive measures."
It has pointed out that "over 30% of African Americans carry at least one copy of the gene sequences that are most predisposed to develop these diseases "and also" people with two copies have at least 10 times the normal risk of developing kidney disease, "he added.
Genome Project Information
For the study, researchers used data from the Genome Project, which is sequencing the genetic maps of people around the world. The researchers found two variants of APOL1, called G1 and G2, that raised the risk of two types of severe kidney disease.
"Both G1 and G2 changed the code sequence APOL1, "said Pollak. Then, a new analysis revealed that these same genetic variants "Confer human immunity against the parasite responsible for sleeping sickness," he added.
These results are parallel to another common condition in people of color, such as sickle cell disease. People with a copy of the sickle cell gene appear to be less prone to malaria, but those who have developed two versions of deformed red blood cells and holding a number of symptoms that often are fatal.
Dr. Pollak is enthusiastic about the fact that the results have been related "to kidney disease in the United States, with human evolution and parasitic infection in Africa." Similarly, the expert hoped that this will "not only to improve knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of renal failure, but also develop new ways to treat trypanosomiasis and kidney disease."
http://www.diariosalud.net/content/view/20256/413/
As explained study leader, Dr. Martin Pollak, the results help to understand "why blacks in America are much more likely to suffer from kidney disease and could lead to new treatments or preventive measures."
It has pointed out that "over 30% of African Americans carry at least one copy of the gene sequences that are most predisposed to develop these diseases "and also" people with two copies have at least 10 times the normal risk of developing kidney disease, "he added.
Genome Project Information
For the study, researchers used data from the Genome Project, which is sequencing the genetic maps of people around the world. The researchers found two variants of APOL1, called G1 and G2, that raised the risk of two types of severe kidney disease.
"Both G1 and G2 changed the code sequence APOL1, "said Pollak. Then, a new analysis revealed that these same genetic variants "Confer human immunity against the parasite responsible for sleeping sickness," he added.
These results are parallel to another common condition in people of color, such as sickle cell disease. People with a copy of the sickle cell gene appear to be less prone to malaria, but those who have developed two versions of deformed red blood cells and holding a number of symptoms that often are fatal.
Dr. Pollak is enthusiastic about the fact that the results have been related "to kidney disease in the United States, with human evolution and parasitic infection in Africa." Similarly, the expert hoped that this will "not only to improve knowledge about the underlying mechanisms of renal failure, but also develop new ways to treat trypanosomiasis and kidney disease."
http://www.diariosalud.net/content/view/20256/413/
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