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  • Review Article
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Genetics of vesicoureteral reflux

Nature Reviews Urology volume 8, pages 539–552 (2011)Cite this article

Subjects

Abstract

Primary vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is the most common urological anomaly in children, affecting 1–2% of the pediatric population and 30–40% of children presenting with urinary tract infections (UTIs). Reflux-associated nephropathy is a major cause of childhood hypertension and chronic renal failure. The hereditary and familial nature of VUR is well recognized and several studies have reported that siblings of children with VUR have a higher incidence of reflux than the general pediatric population. Familial clustering of VUR implies that genetic factors have an important role in its pathogenesis, but no single major locus or gene for VUR has yet been identified and most researchers now acknowledge that VUR is genetically heterogeneous. Improvements in genome-scan techniques and continuously increasing knowledge of the genetic basis of VUR should help us to further understand its pathogenesis.

Key Points

  • Increasing amounts of evidence suggest that vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) is a genetically heterogenous disorder

  • Although VUR transgenic or knockout mouse models exist, the cognate genes in humans do not seem to be major contributors to primary VUR

  • Genome-wide linkage and association studies show little overlap of the major linkage peaks, although there is some intriguing evidence of overlaps in the minor peaks

  • Improvements in genome-scan techniques and increasing knowledge of the genetic basis of diseases should help us to search for VUR susceptibility genes

  • Improved knowledge of the genetic basis of VUR should help us to understand the reasons why some patients develop reflux nephropathy while others do not

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Figure 1: The GDNF/RET pathway in the control of urinary tract development.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. National Children's Research Centre, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, 12, Dublin, Ireland

    Prem Puri & Jan-Hendrik Gosemann

  2. National Centre for Medical Genetics, Our Lady's Children's Hospital, Crumlin, 12, Dublin, Ireland

    John Darlow & David E. Barton

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P. Puri and J.-H. Gosemann researched data for the article and reviewed and edited the article before submission. P. Puri, J.-H. Gosemann and D. E. Barton wrote the article. All authors contributed significantly to discussions of content.

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Puri, P., Gosemann, JH., Darlow, J. et al. Genetics of vesicoureteral reflux. Nat Rev Urol 8, 539–552 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrurol.2011.113

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