Saturday, 23 October 2010 09:30

CFH/CFHR1 hybrid

Written by  Kamal Shah
Rate this item
(0 votes)
I got an email from Dr. Tim Goodship from the University of Newcastle upon Tyne in the UK this morning.

I had sent my blood samples to this lab in 2006 for genetic testing for atypical HUS. They had sent me initial results saying they could not find any mutations of Factor H, Factor I or MCP, the three most commonly implicated genes in aHUS.

Apparently, they did more tests subsequently and a very specialized set of tests revealed that I did have an abnormal form of the Factor H gene called CFH/CFHR1 hybrid. The chance of recurrence of atypical HUS after a transplant with this abnormal gene is 80%.

So, that pretty much rules out me getting a transplant using the current protocols. Even plasmapheresis may not help.

My only hope now is Soliris (Eculizumab) from Alexion Pharmaceuticals. They have just recently completed a set of Phase 2 clinical trials in patients who were resistant to plasma therapy and patients who were on chronic plasma therapy. The clinical trials have met the objectives, they say. I have myself seen scores of papers on the results of the use of this drug and the rate of aHUS remission has been 100%.

Though daily nocturnal hemodialysis has shown outcomes comparable to that of a deceased donor transplant, I still think I want a transplant. The hassle of undergoing dialysis every day and the restrictions on travel (portable machines are not yet available in India) make a transplant seem like complete freedom. So, I really hope Soliris becomes available for use in renal transplants soon. That, as I said, is my only hope.




... http://www.kamaldshah.com/2010/10/cfhcfhr1-hybrid.html

Kamal Shah

Kamal Shah

Hello, I'm Kamal from Hyderabad, India. I have been on dialysis for the last 13 years, six of them on PD, the rest on hemo. I have been on daily nocturnal home hemodialysis for the last four and half years. I can do pretty much everything myself. I love to travel and do short weekend trips or longer trips to places which have dialysis centers. Goa in India is a personal favorite. It is a great holiday destination and has two very good dialysis centers.

E-mail: This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Latest from Kamal Shah

back to top