Novel Genetic Factors Linked to Kidney Stones Development: Study

New genetic factors discovered are more likely to contribute to the development of kidney stones, reports a novel study. The findings of the study are published in the Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

The findings of the study may be useful for predicting individuals' risk of developing kidney stones and for identifying new targets for prevention and treatment.

Highlights

A large genome-wide association study has identified 14 variants including nine new variants at different locations in the genome that are linked to the development of kidney stones.
Four of the variants were related to obesity, high triglycerides, or high blood uric acid levels. The remaining ten variants were associated with kidney- or electrolyte-related traits that might affect crystallization pathways that lead to kidney stone formation.

Novel Genetic Factors Linked to Kidney Stones Development: Study

Increasing numbers of adults are developing kidney stones, a condition called urolithiasis, and they often experience considerable pain and frequent recurrences. To date, six genetic variants have been linked to urolithiasis, and the role of these variants are not well understood.

To provide new insights into the condition and its potential genetic causes, a team led by Koichi Matsuda, MD, PhD and Chizu Tanikawa, PhD (The University of Tokyo) performed a large-scale analysis of the entire genomes of 11,130 Japanese patients with urolithiasis and 187,639 controls, followed by a replication analysis of 2,289 affected patients and 3,817 controls.

The analysis revealed 14 variants at different locations in the genome that were linked to urolithiasis, including nine new variants. Four of the variants were related to obesity, high triglycerides, or high blood uric acid levels. The remaining ten variants were associated with kidney- or electrolyte-related traits that might affect crystallization pathways that lead to kidney stone formation.

‘Genetic factors associated with metabolic and crystallization pathways may increase the risk of urolithiasis. Changing lifestyle factors like hydration, weight control, and food intake may be useful for disease prevention.’
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"To the best of our knowledge, this study included the largest number of urolithiasis cases," Dr. Matsuda. "Because urolithiasis is a preventable disease by changing lifestyle factors such as hydration, weight control, and food intake the study's results are useful for risk prediction and disease prevention," said Dr. Matsuda.

Source: Eurekalert

Diet for Kidney stones

Diet for kidney stone should comprise of calcium-rich foods, increased fluid intake. Other dietary recommendations depends on the type of kidney stone.

Drugs for Kidney Stones

Drugs for kidney stones are used to treat the symptoms of the condition and to prevent new stones from forming.

Kidney Stones

A kidney stone is a solid mass made up of tiny crystals and may appear in any area of the urinary system.

Kidney Stones in Children

Increase in salt concentration in the urine results in precipitation of crystals and these lead to formation of kidney stones. Drinking a lot of water can prevent kidney stones.

Hydronephrosis / Antenatal Counseling

Currently most pregnant women undergo one or two ultrasound scans during their pregnancy.

Ureteroscopy for Stone

Ureteroscopy is an endoscopic procedure that clears stones from the ureter or the kidney.

Urinary Stone Disease

Stones in the urinary system can form in the kidneys and can sometimes travel down towards the bladder to give rise to acute colics.

Urinary Stones In Children

There is a wide misconception that only adults develop stones. On the contrary kidney stones are very common in children living in hot climates.

Vesico-Ureteric Reflux Causing UTI in Children

Bacterial infection of urinary bladder can cause pain and burning sensation while passing urine. Abnormal Vesico-ureteric reflex, due to which the urine goes back to the kidneys from the bladder is also known to cause infection.