Master Discussion
The College of Science for Women at the University of Baghdad discussed a master’s thesis entitled ” Gene Polymorphism in VDR and CASR Genes and their Association with Kidney Stone Formation: A Molecular and Biochemical Analysis”. The thesis was submitted by a student (Julan Yousif Jasem) for a master’s degree in Biology/Genetics, under the supervision of Assistant Professor Dr. Luma Hassan Alwan.
The thesis focused on studying variations in the VDR and CASR genes associated with Kidney Stone Formation. The study included 96 participants, divided into 32 healthy individuals (control group), and 64 patients with kidney stones, The study also assessed the effect of low vitamin D levels on regulating calcium balance and its relationship to kidney stone formation, also studying environmental factors and its relationship to kidney stone formation.
The results revealed the polymorphisms of the VDR and CASR genes showed no significant association with kidney stone formation, certain genotypes were found to be related to the disease. Eating habits showed a clear association with kidney stone disease, whereas fluid intake and family history of the disease did not show any significant association
The study also included the analysis of biochemical tests for kidney function (creatinine, urea, and uric acid), as well as measuring serum calcium and vitamin D3 levels, and a general urine examination to diagnose crystals in kidney stone patients.
The researcher recommended the need for increase the sample size to obtain more reliable results regarding genetic variations and to enhance the accuracy of the research outcom , also recommended include VDR and CASR gene expression to better validate the effects of single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs).
Excellent.
