A new study by a Professor of Medicine and Nephrology, at the University of Nigeria, Nsukka (UNN) in Enugu State, Ifeoma Ulasi shows that one-third of Nigerians and Ghanaians suffer from Chronic Kidney Disease (CKD) due to a gene variant.
Ulasi disclosed this in a statement made available on Friday in Enugu.
She stated that the study is contained in research titled “APOL1 Bi- and Monoallelic Variants and Chronic Disease in West Africans” which she co-authored and acted as Principal Investigator.
She listed other researchers in the study including Prof. Akinlolu Ojo, Dr Dwomoa Adu, Prof. Babatunde Salako, and Prof. Rasheed Gbadegesin, including those from the National Institute of Health (NIH).
Ulasi, also a Consultant Physician at the University of Nigeria Teaching Hospital (UNTH), Enugu, linked a gene variant to the high prevalence of CKD in West Africa.
According to the study, one-third of individuals in Nigeria and Ghana may likely develop a kidney disease due to genetic factors that are common among people from the West African region.
She stated that the groundbreaking study highlighted that many people from the West African region had a variant of a gene called APOL 1, which can significantly increase their risk of developing CKD.
She added that “this is a rare kidney condition called focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.
“Although APOL 1 is important for the immune system, a risk variant of a copy of the gene increases the possibility of developing chronic kidney infection by 18 per cent and 25 per cent if the variant occur in two copies of APOL 1.
“These findings contrast with earlier studies on the African-American population which suggested that both copies of APOL 1 were needed to increase the risk of developing kidney disease by individuals of African descent.
“It is necessary to identify individuals in a family who may have the variant of the APOL 1 gene, as they are at risk of developing kidney disease,” Ulasi explained.
The consultant physician stated that findings of the study are significant in halting progression of CKD in individuals, especially when diagnosed early.
“If your family member is suffering or has suffered from a kidney disease, it is recommended that other members of the family should go for screening,” she advised.
Ulasi further said that more than 8000 people from Ghana and Nigeria participated in the study, including nearly 5000 with CKD of various stages, and more than 800 people who had kidney biopsies to confirm their kidney disease.
She quoted Adebowale Adeyemo, a co-author of the study and Chief Scientific Officer at the Centre for Research on Genomics and Global Health at NIH’s National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI), as urging individuals to go for screening to prevent the risk of kidney disease.
“Knowing your genetic risk for a disease such as kidney disease can help you make informed decisions about your health and potentially lead to early intervention,” he said.
NAN
