Visakhapatnam: The Human Genetics department of Andhra University has embarked on a genetic diagnosis of chronic kidney diseases prevalent in epidemic stage in Uddanam region of Srikakulam district. The areas/mandals for the study include Kaviti, Sompeta, Kanchili, Ichapuram, Palasa and Vajrapukotturu.
The project, sponsored by ICMR, had been taken up since 2019 by teachers and scholars of the HG department and they collected 1,000 samples of chronic adult patients, siblings and youngsters.
Prof Paddaiah Gangisetti, who had a brief stint in John Hopkins University, US, and heads this ICMR project, said kidney diseases can be caused by mutation of any of the six genes that regulates the functioning of the kidneys.
The genes under study are TGF, APDE, NAT8B, CHSP-9, ACE and MUSIN-1.
Talking to Deccan Chronicle, Prof Paddaiah said some 40 per cent of the 70,000 population of Kanchili and Kaviti in Uddanam stretch have been affected by kidney disease. “We have collected samples from 1,000 patients including women and youngsters. Half of these were siblings. A study of the samples of the siblings would give an insight into the cause of the disease,’’ he said.
Earlier studies had revealed that 10 per cent of the adult CKD cases and 30 per cent of the juvenile cases have an identifiable genetic kidney disease.
The university was expecting the Oxford Nanopore Sequencing Technology Instrument from Oxford University by this month-end and analysis of the samples would be completed during the third week of October.
Sub-Sahara African countries, Sri Lanka and some South American nations have also genetic kidney ailments but no serious study has been done so far.
Meanwhile, the kidney patients are being treated in community health centres and the lone 50-bedded hospital in Palasa. Government reports said around 10,000 patients need dialysis twice a week and the present infrastructure available in the government sector was insufficient.
The community health centers in Sompeta, Kanchili, Haripuram and Tekkali have dialysis units. In addition, several dialysis units and hospitals in the private sector are taking advantage of the situation.
Soon after taking over as chief minister, Jagan Reddy sanctioned a super specialty hospital with a kidney research centre and dialysis unit for Palasa. The 200-bedded hospital would cost `50 crore.
Sources from Srikakulam said the hospital was now under construction. A solace is that the government is paying `10,000 to each patient undergoing dialysis. There are 10,000 such patients in Uddanam,’’ said a health officer.
