ASN's Mission

To create a world without kidney diseases, the ASN Alliance for Kidney Health elevates care by educating and informing, driving breakthroughs and innovation, and advocating for policies that create transformative changes in kidney medicine throughout the world.

learn more

Contact ASN

1401 H St, NW, Ste 900, Washington, DC 20005

email@asn-online.org

202-640-4660

The Latest on X

Kidney Week

Abstract: SA-PO680

Pediatric and Adult Kidneys Have Largely Similar Gene Expression in CKD and Non-CKD

Session Information

  • Pediatric Nephrology - 2
    October 26, 2024 | Location: Exhibit Hall, Convention Center
    Abstract Time: 10:00 AM - 12:00 PM

Category: Pediatric Nephrology

  • 1900 Pediatric Nephrology

Authors

  • Sinsakul, Marvin, AstraZeneca, Gaithersburg, Maryland, United States
  • Ryaboshapkina, Maria, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Acoba, Dianne, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
  • Breitenstein, Stefanie, Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
  • Berger, Mario, Bayer AG, Pharmaceuticals, Wuppertal, Germany
  • Reznichenko, Anna, AstraZeneca, Gothenburg, Sweden
Background

Understanding the molecular similarities between kidney diseases in children and adults is important for pediatric drug development. Here, we assessed age-related changes in kidney gene expression.

Methods

We surveyed public pediatric transcriptomics data and analyzed 5 cohorts (non-diseased GSE11024, GSE70503, GSE147451, mostly glomerular CKD GSE104954 and GSE68127). Differential expression analysis was adjusted for batch as appropriate and APOL1 risk group in GSE68127. Genes with false discovery rate < 5% were considered significant. CKD molecular category (Reznichenko et al. 2024 PMID38286178) was predicted for children in GSE68127.

Results

In total, the 5 cohorts included 53 children from 0 to 17 and 388 adults from 18 to 90 years. Pediatric and adult kidney samples did not clearly segregate on principal component analysis (PCA), neither in CKD nor in non-CKD cohorts (Fig 1A). We detected no to minimal differential expression changes, which constituted < 0.5% of measured genes in every cohort (Fig 1B). All adult CKD molecular categories were detected among children, with relative proportions and technical mapping quality similar to the adult CKD (Fig 1C).

Conclusion

Age per se had minimal effect on kidney gene expression. Instead, the gene expression profile in CKD was driven by molecular pathophysiology of CKD.

Fig. 1. Representative results in tubulointerstitium. 26 children (6-17 years) and 29 adults (18-74 years) with nephrotic syndrome GSE68127. A. PCA. B. Differential expression (significant genes in orange). C. Children mapped on to the adult CKD molecular categorization map.