DNA sequencing could soon become part of the routine diagnostic workup for patients with chronic kidney disease, suggests a new study from Columbia University Medical Center. The researchers found that DNA sequencing could identify the genetic cause of the disease and influence treatment for many patients with chronic kidney disease.
The study was published today in Annals of Internal Medicine.
An estimated 14 percent of people in the United States have chronic kidney disease, and between 10 and 25 percent of these individuals have a family history of kidney problems. Diagnosis typically relies on clinical, rather than genetic, evidence. Even with a kidney biopsy, it can be difficult to identify different subtypes of the disease. As a result, the precise cause of kidney failure often remains unknown.
