Kidney Problems in the Chinese Connected to Genes

by Rathi Manohar on  August 26, 2010 at 8:04 PM Genetics & Stem Cells News
  •   Print
  •   Share
  •   Comments
  •  Text 
Diabetics of Chinese descent face a higher risk of kidney disease compared to Caucasians due to variants of a gene, according to a study.

Asians tend to have a higher likelihood of kidney failure, a major cause of death among diabetics. Diabetes rates have been soaring in China as rising prosperity changes lifestyles.

Writing in the Journal of the American Medical Association, researchers linked renal disease risk to variants of the gene PRKCB1 among people of Chinese origin in Hong Kong.

The study, led by Ronald C.W. Ma of the Chinese University of Hong Kong, looked primarily at 1,172 diabetics recruited between 1995 and 1998 when they showed no signs of kidney problems.

After 7.9 years on average, 90 patients -- or 7.7 percent of the total -- developed chronic kidney disease.

A DNA analysis showed that patients who had four common variants of PRKCB1 were six times more likely to suffer kidney disease than those with only one or no variant of the same gene, the study said.

The findings "suggest that genetic variation in the PRKCBl gene is an important determinant for the risk of developing (diabetic kidney disease) in Chinese patients with type 2 diabetes," the authors wrote.

Type 2 diabetes, the most common form of the disease, is the incapability to use insulin, the hormone produced in the pancreas that regulates sugar in the bloodstream.

A study in March found that China is faced with a diabetes epidemic, with one in 10 percent of adults suffering from the disease due to increasingly unhealthy diets, a lack of exercise and high rates of smoking.

Source-AFP

 Email Email   RSS Feeds RSS Feeds   Print this page Print   Save this page Save   Link Link   Syndicate Syndicate   Comments Comments   Bookmark and Share
 
Comment & Contribute
Comments should be on the topic and should not be abusive. Comments are normally moderated and are reviewed after they are posted.
* Your comment can be maximum of 2500 characters

Notify me when reply is posted
I agree to the terms and conditions
  
If you have a question about health related issues, you can now post it in our Ask An Expert section on our community website Medwonders.com and get answers from our panel of experts.
X

Medwonders Health Network

  • Health News Index
A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z
News Archive
Date :
Category :
Keyword :
Quiz On Kidney
How healthy are your kidneys? To find out take part in our kidney quiz.
  • News Quick Links
News Central Health Watch
Latest Health News Health In Focus
News Category (500+) Breaking Health News
Popular News Celebrating Life
Health News and Press Release Medindia - Exclusive
News Photo Gallery India Special
News Video Gallery Lifestyle and Wellness
News From Other Resources
Kidney
Complete Medindia Resources
News Categories:  
Mental Health Center

Genetics & Stem Cells Related News

» Genetic Traits Likely to Predispose Voters to Elect a Specific Candidate » Gene Behind Chronic Inflammation Accelerated Aging and Cancer Identified
» Discovery Of Male Fertility Genes » Disease Risk Prediction may Not be Improved by Genetic Information
» Scientists Map Gene Sequence of Drug Resistant VRSA » Marker in Premies' Saliva Predicts Readiness to Feed by Mouth
» Recovery From MS Maybe With Growth Factor In Stem Cells » 'Rare' Genetic Variants are Surprisingly Common: Report Life Scientists
Read More >>