Kidney disease risk and MTHFS gene

The Kidneys filter wastes and excess water out of your blood to make urine. They also keep the body's chemical balance, help control blood pressure, and make hormones. Chronic kidney disease (CKD) means that your kidneys are damaged and can't filter blood as they should. This damage can cause wastes to build up in your body. It can also cause other problems that can harm your health. CKD can get worse over time and may lead to kidney failure. The only treatment options for kidney failure are dialysis or a kidney transplantation.

Diabetes and high blood pressure are the most common causes of CKD. Other causes include genetic problems, injuries, or medicines. Genome-wide association study (GWAS) have provided unbiased information implicating MTHFS as a candidate gene for kidney disease. Meta-analysis of a large study (Framingham Heart Study) showed a variant of the MTHFS gene was significantly associated with CKD. In this study, Caucasians with the C allele of MTHFS rs6495446 were more likely than people without this variant, to have CKD.

Related to:
Chronic Kidney Disease, CKD, Nephropathy