Mohsen Akhavan Sepahi
1 , Bahram Niknafs
2* 1 Department of Pediatric Nephrology, School of Medicine, Qom University of Medical Sciences, Qom, Iran
2 Kidney Research Center, Tabriz University of Medical Sciences, Tabriz, Iran
Implication for health policy/practice/research/medical education:
APOL1 protein is encoded by the APOL1 gene in humans and plays a role in innate immunity.
The spectrum of APOL1-related nephropathies consists of HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN),
segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy (MGN), sickle-cell nephropathy,
hypertensive nephropathy, arterionephrosclerosis, lupus nephritis, microalbuminuria, chronic kidney
disease and end-stage renal disease. Moreover, APOL1 nephropathy risk variants are associated
with shorter survival of deceased kidney allografts, lower renal function, interstitial and fibrosis
glomerulosclerosis.
Please cite this paper as: Akhavan Sepahi, Niknafs B. Multifaceted role of apolipoprotein L1 risk variants
and nephropathy. J Nephropathol. 2020;9(1):e03. DOI: 10.15171/jnp.2020.03.