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Case Reports: Unusual association of diseases/symptoms
Obesity-related glomerulopathy in the presence of APOL1 risk alleles
  1. Ronald Valdez Imbert1,
  2. Nang San Hti Lar Seng1,
  3. Michael B Stokes2 and
  4. Belinda Jim1
  1. 1Department of Medicine, Jacobi Medical Center at Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
  2. 2Department of Pathology and Cell Biology, Columbia University Irving Medical Center, New York, New York, USA
  1. Correspondence to Dr Belinda Jim; belindajim286{at}gmail.com

Abstract

Nephropathic apolipoprotein L1 (APOL1) risk alleles (G1/G2) have been associated with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, HIV-associated nephropathy, Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE)-associated collapsing glomerulopathy and other glomerulonephritides. These alleles confer protection from Trypanosoma brucei infections which are enriched in sub-Saharan African populations. We present a young woman with obesity, hypertension, subnephrotic range proteinuria who was found to have obesity-related glomerulopathy on kidney biopsy while harbouring two high-risk APOL1 alleles (G1/G2). Given the potential effects on lipid metabolism and their association with obesity, the presence of APOL1 risk alleles may impact cardiovascular health in addition to renal disease in these patients.

  • Renal system
  • Pathology
  • Metabolic disorders

https://doi.org/10.1136/bcr-2022-249624

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    Footnotes

    • Contributors Dr RIV acquired, interpreted the data, wrote and edited the manuscript. Dr NSHLS acquired, interpreted the data, wrote and edited the manuscript. Dr MBS acquired, interpreted the data, significantly edited the paper. Dr BJ acquired, interpreted the data and significantly edited and revised the manuscript.

    • Funding The authors have not declared a specific grant for this research from any funding agency in the public, commercial or not-for-profit sectors.

    • Case reports provide a valuable learning resource for the scientific community and can indicate areas of interest for future research. They should not be used in isolation to guide treatment choices or public health policy.

    • Competing interests None declared.

    • Provenance and peer review Not commissioned; externally peer reviewed.