Is kidney disease hereditary? You need to know this!

Hereditary kidney disease

-Polycystic kidney disease: The aforementioned polycystic kidney disease is a common hereditary kidney disease, which is divided into autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease (ADPKD) and autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease (ARPKD). ADPKD is relatively common, and its inheritance is autosomal dominant, which means that as long as one parent has the disease, the children have a 50% chance of inheriting the pathogenic gene and becoming ill. Patients usually begin to show symptoms in young and middle-aged children. Multiple cysts of varying sizes will gradually appear in both kidneys. As the cysts continue to grow, they will compress the kidney tissue, causing gradual damage to renal function. They may also be accompanied by symptoms such as hypertension and hematuria. At the same time, extrarenal manifestations such as liver cysts may also occur. ARPKD is relatively rare and is an autosomal recessive inheritance. It often occurs in infancy and early childhood. The condition is often severe and is often accompanied by severe kidney and liver lesions.

- Hereditary nephritis: also known as Alport syndrome, is also a hereditary kidney disease, mainly inherited in an X-linked dominant manner, with a few cases being autosomal recessive or autosomal dominant. The disease is mainly manifested by hematuria and progressive renal dysfunction, and may also be accompanied by sensorineural hearing loss and eye abnormalities. It usually develops in childhood or adolescence, and male patients are generally more seriously ill than female patients.

- Congenital nephrotic syndrome: This is a group of nephrotic syndromes that appear after birth or within 3 months of birth, most of which have a genetic basis. According to the cause, it can be divided into Finnish congenital nephrotic syndrome and non-Finnish congenital nephrotic syndrome. The former is autosomal recessive and is caused by mutations in the NPHS1 gene; the latter has a more complex cause and may be related to mutations in multiple genes. Children often show typical symptoms of nephrotic syndrome such as massive proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, edema, etc. The disease often progresses rapidly and the prognosis is poor.

Non-hereditary kidney disease

- Acute glomerulonephritis: usually caused by immune response after infection with streptococcus, etc., and has little to do with genetic factors. There is often a history of upper respiratory tract infection or skin infection 1-3 weeks before the onset of the disease. The onset is acute, and the main symptoms are hematuria, proteinuria, edema and hypertension. Most patients can recover after rest and symptomatic treatment, and it is generally not inherited by the next generation.

- Chronic glomerulonephritis: The causes are diverse. It can be caused by a variety of primary glomerular diseases that have not been cured. It may also be related to infection, autoimmunity, environmental factors, etc. Although some patients may have genetic susceptibility, it is not caused by a single genetic factor and is not a hereditary disease. The disease is prolonged and gradually progresses, which can lead to renal damage, but it will not be directly inherited by children.

- Diabetic nephropathy: It is one of the most common microvascular complications of diabetes, mainly caused by long-term high blood sugar causing damage to renal blood vessels and glomeruli. Diabetes itself has a certain genetic tendency, but diabetic nephropathy is a kidney disease caused by the combined action of multiple factors on the basis of diabetes, and is not a simple genetic disease.

Understanding the genetic characteristics of kidney disease is of great significance for the prevention, early diagnosis and treatment of the disease. If there is a hereditary kidney disease patient in the family, other family members should undergo relevant examinations regularly for early detection and intervention. As for non-hereditary kidney disease, maintaining a healthy lifestyle, such as a proper diet, moderate exercise, and control of blood sugar and blood pressure, can help prevent its occurrence and development.