? Diabetes and diabetic kidney disease are occuring in epidemic proportions, both in the United States and worldwide. There is strong evidence that diabetic kidney disease runs in families and may have an inherited component. Therefore, the Family Investigation in Nephropathy and Diabetes (FIND) Study was developed to identify diabetic kidney failure genes. The FIND is a large multi-center study that is targeted with identifying families containing multiple diabetic members, at least one of whom also has advanced diabetic kidney disease. It will attempt to find regions that may contain the genes for diabetes and diabetic kidney failure in Europen American (Caucasian), African American, Hispanic American and Native American families. To date, more than 1,400 different families have been enrolled. The study was started in September 1999 and is being conducted at 8 participating investigative centers around the country and at a single genetic analysis and data coordinating center. After the families are identified and provide blood and urine samples, genetic material (DNA) is being evaluated in an attempt to identify genes that predispose to diabetic kidney failure and diabetic eye disease. During the next two years, the Wake Forest University School of Medicine site will attempt to evaluate approximately 250 diabetic subjects who previously participated in the FIND study for the presence of diabetic eye disease. These individuals will be recontacted and asked to provide medical records from their eye doctors or have pictures taken of the blood vessels in back of their eyes by an opthamologist. We will also complete the evaluation of the genetic data in all FIND families; and we will be preparing publications that reveal the results of the genetic analyses for diabetic kidney disease and diabetic eye disease. The identification of genes that cause diabetic complications will take us one step closer to finding treatments that may have the potential to slow or prevent the development of these serious complications of diabetes mellitus ? ?
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