Genetics may underlie some kidney failure in blacks.

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  • Author(s): Seppa, Nathan
  • Source:
    Science News for Kids. 8/14/2010, Vol. 178 Issue 4, p10-10. 1p.
  • Additional Information
    • Subject Terms:
      AFRICAN Americans; CHRONIC kidney failure; APOLIPOPROTEINS; HIGH density lipoproteins; CHOLESTEROL
    • Abstract:
      The article reports on a study according to which the African Americans are three times at risk of facing chronic kidney failure than white people. The study reveals that the gene, apolipoprotein L-1 (APOL-1) is that the gene that protects African American against African sleeping sickness but increases their susceptibility to kidney failure. The gene contains normal component of high density lipoproteins (HDL), the good cholesterol. However it remains unclear how the gene damages the kidney.