Variation in IGHMBP2 is not associated with IgA nephropathy in independent studies of UK Caucasian and Chinese Han patients

IgA nephropathy is a major cause of end-stage renal disease worldwide. Its aetiology is poorly understood but there is good evidence for a major genetic component, although to date, no gene has been conclusively identified. We describe a new UK multicentre DNA collection assembled to investigate this. A Japanese genome-wide analysis recently reported that common genetic variation in immunoglobulin mu-binding protein 2 (IGHMBP2) was associated with IgA nephropathy. We sought to replicate this using the new UK collection, and through an independent parallel analysis of a Han Chinese population.