Authors: Wasser WG, Tzur S, Wolday D, Adu D, Baumstein D, Rosset S, Skorecki K
Abstract
Advances in human genome sequencing and generation of public databases of genomic diversity enable nephrologists to re-examine the genetics of common, complex kidney diseases. Non-diabetic kidney diseases prevalent in African ancestry populations and the allelic variation described in chromosome 22q12.3 is one such illustrative example. Newly available genomic database information enabled research groups to discover common functional DNA sequence risk variants in the APOL1 gene. These variants (termed G1 and G2) evolved to confer protection from a species of trypanosomal infection and thus achieved high prominence in many geographic regions of Africa and have been carried over to African diaspor...