APOL1 Gene Variants in African American Kidney Transplant Recipients

Impact of APOL1 Gene Variants in African American Kidney Transplant Recipients: A Study of Clinical Outcomes and Molecular Mechanisms

Aim 1:

Determine if there is an association between the APOL1 risk variants and allograft survival and function in African Americans

Aim 2:

Determine if there is an association between the presence of APOL1 risk variants in an African American kidney transplant recipient and the risk of recurrent disease

Aim 3:

Investigate mechanisms of APOL1 associated kidney disease by prospectively following African American kidney transplant recipients throughout their clinical course.

Aim 1:

Inclusion Criteria:

• self-reported African American
• 18 years or older
• kidney transplant within 12 years

Aim 2:

Inclusion Criteria for patients with recurrent disease:

• self-reported African American
• 18 years or older
• kidney transplant within 12 years
• recurrent or de novo glomerular disease on allograft kidney biopsy

Inclusion Criteria for control group:

• self-reported African American
• 18 years or older
• kidney transplant within 12 years
• end stage kidney disease due to glomerular nephritis, clinically diagnosed or by native kidney biopsy

Exclusion Criteria for control group:

• clinical evidence of recurrent disease (presence of proteinuria, hematuria, Creatinine >2)

Aim 3:

Inclusion Criteria:

• self-reported African American
• 18 years or older
• scheduled living kidney transplant