Per- and polyfluoroalkyl substances and kidney disease: Genetic associations and computational prioritization of candidate toxicogenomic pathways.

Genetically predicted higher PFOA and PFOS levels are linked to specific kidney disease risks, with PFOA associated with hypertensive nephropathy and calculus of kidney.

• Why it matters: Understanding how environmental pollutants like PFAS influence kidney disease is crucial due to their persistence and bioaccumulation, yet their toxicogenomic mechanisms remain unclear.
• What they did: The study used Mendelian randomization and computational toxicology on genetic data to identify associations between PFAS levels and kidney diseases, prioritizing pathways related to immune response, inflammation, and oxidative stress.
• The result: Findings highlight candidate genes and pathways, such as CTNNB1, TP53, and IL6, offering a framework for future experimental validation of PFAS-related kidney toxicity mechanisms.