Chronic kidney disease in farm workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua
CKDu in Salvadoran and Nicaraguan Agricultural Communities
Researchers are working with agricultural communities in El Salvador and Nicaragua to find what causes chronic kidney disease that affects young working-age men.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Boston University Medical Campus NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Boston, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166303 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
This consortium partners with local field teams to collect health information, blood and urine samples, and environmental measurements from agricultural communities where CKDu is common. Samples and data are processed through a central renal science core and a data coordinating center to look for biological markers, environmental toxins, and patterns of disease over time. The teams will use standardized methods, ethical protocols, and shared analytics to compare findings across sites and potentially link exposures like heat, dehydration, or chemicals to kidney damage. Results will be shared with communities and used to guide prevention efforts and potential treatment targets.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adults who live and work in affected agricultural communities in El Salvador and Nicaragua and who can provide health information and biological and environmental samples.
Not a fit: People with common age-related kidney disease from diabetes or high blood pressure, or those living outside the study regions, may not directly benefit from this research.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the work could point to causes and practical prevention or treatment steps that reduce kidney failure and deaths in affected farming communities.
How similar studies have performed: Past regional studies have suggested heat stress, dehydration, and agrochemical exposures as possible causes but have not reached a definitive answer, so this larger coordinated effort is building on those findings.
Where this research is happening
Boston, United States
- Boston University Medical Campus — Boston, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Scammell, Madeleine — Boston University Medical Campus
- Study coordinator: Scammell, Madeleine
About this research
- This is an active NIH-funded research project — typically early-stage science, not a clinical trial accepting patient enrollment.
- Some NIH-funded labs run parallel clinical studies or seek volunteers for related work. To check, contact the principal investigator or institution listed above.
- For full project details, budget, and progress reports, visit the official NIH RePORTER page below.