Kids Kidney Research

High blood pressure in children is usually the result of defined disorders of the kidney and hormonal systems. Renal artery stenosis (RAS) describes a critical narrowing of renal arteries, which supply blood to the kidneys. It is most commonly associated with a malformation of the main kidney artery, called ‘fibromuscular dysplasia’ (FMD). The affected kidneys make excess hormones, which increase blood pressure causing potentially fatal effects on diverse organs. RAS/FMD is a disorder of arterial wall maturation and it can run in families.  This study will focus on thirty individuals affected by RAS/FMD who have been cared for at Great Ormond Street Hospital to establish a unique genetic resource of DNA from affected UK families, acting as a prelude to further work to define mutations.

UPDATE MAY 2011  The findings of this research project have now been accepted for publication in "Pediatric Nephrology" and the full text can be found by clicking here