A recent study conducted by a U.S.-Canadian research collaboration, led by Vanderbilt University Medical Center, has revealed that mutations in the blood can increase the risk of acute kidney injury (AKI) in adults. The study, published in the journal Nature Medicine, highlighted the potential for new treatments and prevention strategies for AKI, a condition that affects over 1 in 5 hospitalized adults globally.
The research focused on clonal hematopoiesis of indeterminate potential (CHIP), which involves noninherited mutations in blood stem cells leading to abnormal cell expansions. It was found that CHIP, affecting 10-20% of individuals aged 65 and older, is linked to a 40% higher risk of death from cardiovascular, lung, liver diseases, and inflammatory conditions, making this age group particularly susceptible to AKI.
Dr. Raymond Harris, co-corresponding author of the study, emphasized the significance of identifying the association between CHIP and AKI, shedding light on the underlying mechanisms for AKI development in the older population. Dr. Alexander Bick, the other co-corresponding author, highlighted the surprising impact of CHIP on acute inflammation, in addition to its known role in chronic diseases.
The study, supervised by Dr. Bick, Dr. Harris, and Dr. Cassianne Robinson-Cohen, involved researchers from Canada and the United States. The meta-analysis of three population-based cohorts, including over 440,000 individuals from the UK Biobank and two long-running U.S. studies, demonstrated a clear association between CHIP and AKI, particularly in patients requiring intensive care.
The first author of the study, Dr. Caitlyn Vlasschaert, a resident physician at Queens University in Canada, spearheaded the research, providing valuable insights into the relationship between CHIP and AKI.
