Gene-Gene and Gene-Environment Interactions in HIV-Associated Nephropathy: A Focus on the MYH9 Nephropathy Susceptibility Gene

HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN) is a leading cause of ESRD in African Americans. The HIV-1 virus infects podocytes, cells integral to formation of the glomerular filtration barrier, often leading to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. HIVAN is typically a complication of late-stage HIV infection, associated with low CD4 cell counts and elevated serum HIV RNA levels. Highly active antiretroviral therapy is partially protective and has altered the natural history of HIV-associated kidney disease. Nonetheless, HIVAN remains an important public health concern among HIV-infected African Americans. Although polymorphisms in the MYH9 gene on chromosome 22 are strongly associated with HIVAN, as well as with idiopathic focal segmental glomerulosclerosis and global glomerulosclerosis (historically labeled “hypertensive nephrosclerosis”), the majority of HIV-infected patients who are genetically at risk from MYH9 do not appear to develop severe kidney disease. Therefore, we postulate that additional environmental exposures and/or inherited factors are necessary to initiate human HIVAN. Gene-environment interactions have also been proposed as necessary for the initiation of HIVAN in murine models. It is important that these novel risk factors be identified because prevention of environmental exposures and targeting of additional gene products may reduce the risk for HIVAN, even among those harboring 2 risk alleles in MYH9.