Skip to main content

Thank you for visiting nature.com. You are using a browser version with limited support for CSS. To obtain the best experience, we recommend you use a more up to date browser (or turn off compatibility mode in Internet Explorer). In the meantime, to ensure continued support, we are displaying the site without styles and JavaScript.

  • News & Views
  • Published:

A rare variant in CFH directly links age-related macular degeneration with rare glomerular nephropathies

A careful analysis of risk haplotypes in relation to age-related macular degeneration (AMD) susceptibility has led to the identification of a rare, high-penetrance variant in the complement factor H (CFH) gene that is also causally associated with atypical hemolytic uremic syndrome (aHUS) and related glomerulopathies. This finding provides a convincing causal mechanism linking the two diseases and develops a paradigm for the genetic architecture of a common and complex disease.

This is a preview of subscription content, access via your institution

Relevant articles

Open Access articles citing this article.

Access options

Buy this article

Prices may be subject to local taxes which are calculated during checkout

Figure 1: Schematic showing the modular structure of the CFH protein containing 20 CCP domains with diverse but sometimes overlapping functions.

References

  1. Bok, D. Proc. Natl. Acad. Sci. USA 102, 7053–7054 (2005).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  2. Schmidt, C.Q., Herbert, A.P., Hocking, H.G., Uhrin, D. & Barlow, P.N. Clin. Exp. Immunol. 151, 14–24 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  3. Maller, J. et al. Nat. Genet. 38, 1055–1059 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  4. Hageman, G.S. et al. Prog. Retin. Eye Res. 20, 705–732 (2001).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  5. Swaroop, A., Chew, E.Y., Bowes Rickman, C. & Abecasis, G.R. Annu. Rev. Genomics Hum. Genet. 10, 19–43 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  6. Hughes, A.E. et al. Nat. Genet. 38, 1173–1177 (2006).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  7. Clark, S.J. et al. J. Biol. Chem. 285, 30192–30202 (2010).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  8. Tortajada, A. et al. Hum. Mol. Genet. 18, 3452–3461 (2009).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  9. Raychaudhuri, S. et al. Nat. Genet. 43, 1232–1236 (2011).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  10. Sánchez-Corral, P. et al. Am. J. Hum. Genet. 71, 1285–1295 (2002).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  11. Kavanagh, D. & Goodship, T. Nephron Clin. Pract. 118, c37–c42 (2011).

    Article  Google Scholar 

  12. Martinez-Barricarte, R. et al. J. Am. Soc. Nephrol. 19, 639–646 (2008).

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  13. Walker, P.D. Curr. Opin. Nephrol. Hypertens. 16, 204–212 (2007).

    Article  Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Alan F. Wright.

Ethics declarations

Competing interests

The author declares no competing financial interests.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Wright, A. A rare variant in CFH directly links age-related macular degeneration with rare glomerular nephropathies. Nat Genet 43, 1176–1177 (2011). https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.1012

Download citation

  • Published:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/ng.1012

This article is cited by

Search

Quick links

Nature Briefing

Sign up for the Nature Briefing newsletter — what matters in science, free to your inbox daily.

Get the most important science stories of the day, free in your inbox. Sign up for Nature Briefing