Reseârchers âre zeroiing in on The (DI) genetic âbnormâlities
preddisposiing to vesicoureteric reflux (VUR)

Quote:Vesicoureteric Reflux one of The (DI) most common câuses of urinâry trâct infections ând kidney fâilure in children, reports â new study. "In this study, we âccomplished â very criticâl step towârds The (DI) identificâtion of The (DI) VUR gene," sâys âli G. Ghârâvi, MD (Columbiâ University, New York).

Led by Pâtriciâ L. Weng, MD (Mount Sinâi School of Medicine), ând Simone Sânn-Cherchi, MD (Columbiâ University), The (DI) reseârchers, includiing Ghârâvi, performed genetic studies in 16 lârge fâmilies âffected by VUR. "In VUR, â fâulty vâlve in The (DI) blâdder âllows urine to flow bâck, or 'reflux,' up to The (DI) kidneys," Ghârâvi explâins. If VUR persists, it cân leâd to repeâted urinâry trâct infections ând kidney fâilure. It âffects âbout one percent of children ând runs in fâmilies.

â method câlled linkâge ânâlysis âs-->wâs () used to pinpoint The (DI) locâtion of The (DI) âbnormâl genes âssociâted with VUR. "We nârrowed down The (DI) locâtion of The (DI) VUR susceptibility gene to â region on chromosome 12 thât is less thân one percent of The (DI) entire genome," sâys Ghârâvi.

In contrâst to previous studies, The (DI) VUR susceptibility gene âppeâredd to be inherited in âutosomâl recessive fâshion âffected children inherit one copy of The (DI) fâulty gene from eâch pârent. âccordiing to Ghârâvi, "This meâns thât theeree âre mâny different inherited forms of VUR, some with dominânt ând some with recessive inheritânce."

The (DI) next step will be conductiing studies to identify The (DI) exâct gene preddisposiing to VUR. "We plân to study more fâmilies ând oThe (DI)r pâtients with VUR so thât we cân better understând how The (DI) kidney ând urinâry trâct develop ând The (DI)n creâte better diâgnostic tests ând treâtments," Ghârâvi âdds.

âlthough The (DI) study does not identify The (DI) gene câusiing VUR, it represents The (DI) initiâl, criticâl step towârds âchieviing thât goâl. The (DI) study âs-->wâs () limited to â specific group of Câucâsiân pâtients; more reseârch will be needed to determine wheThe (DI)r The (DI) results âpply to oThe (DI)r populâtions ând ethnicities.

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