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Published on: June 23, 2015
Obesity-related glomerulopathy in the presence of APOL1 risk alleles
Ronald Valdez Imbert1, Nang San Hti Lar Seng1, Michael B Stokes2
1Department of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.
Abstract:
Nephropathic apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk alleles (G1/G2) have been associated with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, HIV-associated nephropathy, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-associated collapsing glomerulopathy and other glomerulonephritides. These alleles confer protection from Trypanosoma brucei infections which are enriched in sub-Saharan African populations. We present a young woman with obesity, hypertension, subnephrotic range proteinuria who was found to have obesity-related glomerulopathy on kidney biopsy while harbouring two high-risk APOL1 alleles (G1/G2). Given the potential effects on lipid metabolism and their association with obesity, the presence of APOL1 risk alleles may impact cardiovascular health in addition to renal disease in these patients.
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