Grant: Environments, Genes and Chronic Disease - LOI

Each year about 2500 - 5000 Canadians suddenly become swollen in association with massive losses of protein into the urine (Nephrotic Syndrome). About 80% respond to steroid treatment but may relapse many times in the ensuing years. Those who fail to respond to steroid have progressive loss of kidney function eventually requiring dialysis or kidney transplantation. In this project, we hypothesize that nephrotic syndrome begins when we acquire specific viral infections that introduce viral genes into lymphocytes of our immune system, causing these cells to release factors that alter the biology of the kidney. We further hypothesize that some individuals are born with slightly dysfunctional genes that modify the response of the body to viruses, accounting for those patients who area unresponsiveness to steroid treatment and develop progressive kidney failure. We will test these novel hypotheses in studies of serum samples and blood cells from patients with nephrotic syndrome across Canada.