A study led by a team of scientists in Ghana and Nigeria has revealed that nearly a third of Ghanaians-29.7% carry two copies of the Apolipoprotein LI (APOL1) gene variants increasing their risk of kidney disease by 25%, while 43.7% have one copy, raising their risk by 18%.
This recent study, published in the prestigious New England Journal of Medicine was led by Dr. Dwomoa Adu from the University of Ghana Medical School, in collaboration with Professor Akinlolu Ojo from University of Kansas Medical Center and Professor Babatunde Salako from the University of Ibadan.
The findings indicate that the APOL1 gene variant, which originated in Africa over 10,000 years ago as a protection against sleeping sickness, now poses a substantial threat to kidney health.
Of the 3,043 Ghanaians and Nigerians studied by the Human Health and Heredity in Africa (H3Africa) Kidney Disease Research Network, 29.7% carried two copies of the gene variant, while 43.7% had one copy. This genetic predisposition increases the risk of kidney failure by 18% for those with one copy and 25% for those with two copies.
In Ghana, the studies were carried out by Ghanaian doctors and scientists from the University of Ghana Medical School, (Dr Dwomoa Adu, Dr Charlotte Osafo and Professor Vincent Boima) the Kwame Nkrumah University of Science and Technology (Professor Sampson Antwi and the late Professor Jacob Plange-Rhule) and the Noguchi Memorial Institute of Medical Research(Professor Alexander Nyarko and Professor Anita Ghansah).
According to the study “gene variants in the Apolipoprotein L1 gene (APOL1) gene which developed in Africans some 10000 years ago because they protected our ancestors from dying from sleeping sickness (Trypanosomiasis) now increase our risk of getting kidney disease.
In this way the gene is like the sickle cell gene that protected people against malaria but can cause crises. These APOL1 gene variants now increase the risk of developing chronic kidney disease in Africans and people of African ancestry.”
These studies show that the APOL1 gene contributes to the high incidence of patients with kidney failure in Ghana and Nigeria and points the way to how to treat to this condition.
The study’s findings have significant implications for public health policy and healthcare delivery in Ghana. With kidney disease on the rise, the need for increased awareness, screening, and early intervention must become urgent.
As researchers continue to explore the APOL1 gene variant’s impact on kidney health, one thing is clear: immediate action is necessary to address this growing health crisis.
The Ghanaian government, healthcare professionals, and the general public have been tasked to work together to address this pressing health issue. Increased funding for research, awareness campaigns, and early intervention programs can help mitigate the impact of kidney disease in Ghana.
Funding for this research include grant awards from the National Human Genome Research Institute (U54 HG006939), the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases (U54 DK116913 and U01 DK107131) and the Office of the Director at the National Institutes of Health, USA (1ZIAHG200362).
