GENETIC INITIATION OF HYPERTENSIVE AND DIABETIC NEPHROPATHY

The factors initiating the common etiologies of chronic renal failure remain elusive. This article reviews the evidence in support of a gene ralized genetic susceptibility to human end-stage renal disease, inclu ding kidney failure attributed to the systemic diseases of hypertensio n, diabetes mellitus, and glomerulonephritis. Molecular genetic techni ques are powerful tools, assisting in the detection of the initiating factors in many complex diseases. In kidney disease, genetic methodolo gies complement the available anatomic, epidemiologic, and physiologic analyses. This article provides strategies to allow for the detection of human renal failure susceptibility genes. The identification of hu man renal failure genes would provide useful markers for disease susce ptibility and speed the development of novel therapeutic strategies. ( C) 1998 American Journal of Hypertension, Ltd.