Researchers have identified three genes containing common mutations associated with an increased risk of kidney disease. The genes, UMOD, SHROOM3 and STC1, are thought to increase the amount of protein in the urine of healthy individuals.
 
The UMOD gene produces Tamm-Horsfall protein, which is the most common protein found in urine. The study found the gene can cause the most severe forms of hereditary kidney disease, occurring in 18 percent of individuals with the gene variant.
 
The findings for all three genes suggest new areas for investigation, including the need for developing methods to measure protein levels in urine or blood.

This article originally appeared in the June 2009 issue of Kidney Beginnings: The Electronic Newsletter.