To Donate or Not to Donate? The Balancing Act of Apol-1 Genetic Testing in Potential Living Kidney Donors of African Descent in Resource Limited Countries
1University of Toledo College of Medicine, Toledo, OH, 2Nephrology and Medicine, Federal Medical Center Umuahia, Umuahia, Nigeria, 3Nephrology and Medicine, Mt. St John Medical Center, St. John, Antigua and Barbuda
Meeting: 2020 American Transplant Congress
Abstract number: A-083
Keywords: African-American, Donation, Gene expression, Kidney transplantation
Session Information
Session Name: Poster Session A: Kidney Living Donor: Selection
Session Type: Poster Session
Date: Saturday, May 30, 2020
Session Time: 3:15pm-4:00pm
Presentation Time: 3:30pm-4:00pm
Location: Virtual
*Purpose: To report our findings of APOL-1 testing in individuasl of African descent presenting as potential living kidney donors in resource limited countries; Antigua and Nigeria.
*Methods: Due to the well documented risk of renal loss from living black donors with APOL1 high risk genotype, APOL1 renal risk assessment and testing was performed on all potential donors and receipients.
Data was collected and analyzed retrospectively of the risk variants among individuals presenting as living donors in kidney transplant programs in Antigua and Nigeria over a two year period from 2017 to 2019.
*Results: A total of 30 potential living donors was evaluated during a 2 year period. 50% of the cohort from Nigeria had high risk genotype. 33% of the Antiguan cohort had high risk genotype. Overall 43% of the potential living donors had high risk genotype present. 78% of the Nigerian Cohort with high risk genotype did not proceed with kidney donation. 25% of the Antiguan cohort with high risk genotype did not proceed with kidney donation.
*Conclusions: The prevalence of APOL1 High risk genotype is high in potential donors of African Descent in Antigua and Nigeria.A balance of protecting living kidney donors versus harming potential kidney recipients is paramount in resource limited countries with large population of African ancestry.
To cite this abstract in AMA style:
Ekwenna O, Okwuonu C, Thoms I. To Donate or Not to Donate? The Balancing Act of Apol-1 Genetic Testing in Potential Living Kidney Donors of African Descent in Resource Limited Countries [abstract]. Am J Transplant. 2020; 20 (suppl 3). https://atcmeetingabstracts.com/abstract/to-donate-or-not-to-donate-the-balancing-act-of-apol-1-genetic-testing-in-potential-living-kidney-donors-of-african-descent-in-resource-limited-countries/. Accessed May 11, 2025.« Back to 2020 American Transplant Congress