Circulating TGF-Β1 as a reliable biomarker for chronic kidney disease progression in the African-American population

Abstract

Progressive renal fibrosis is common to all chronic kidney diseases (CKD). Suthanthiran and colleagues identified a positive association between transforming growth factor-Β1 and several risk factors for CKD progression in African Americans but not in whites. This study offers a possible explanation for the higher prevalence of end-stage renal disease in African Americans and highlights the need for a better therapeutic strategy for this population. © 2009 International Society of Nephrology.