Chronic kidney disease in farm workers of El Salvador and Nicaragua
CKDu in Salvadoran and Nicaraguan Agricultural Communities
This project looks for causes and ways to prevent a deadly form of chronic kidney disease that affects young agricultural workers in El Salvador and Nicaragua.
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-11405861 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be part of a multi-country consortium that brings together local field teams and central labs to understand why farm workers are developing CKD at unusually young ages. Local teams will collect health information, take blood and urine samples, and perform environmental testing of water, soil, and work conditions. A central data coordinating center and a renal science core will standardize and analyze samples and data from all field sites. The teams will work with communities to design ethical studies, share findings, and plan public-health or clinical actions that could reduce risk.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal participants are adult agricultural workers and community members in affected regions of El Salvador and Nicaragua, especially men of working age and people with early signs of kidney injury.
Not a fit: People outside the affected regions, or those without relevant occupational or environmental exposures, are unlikely to receive direct benefit from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify causes and practical prevention steps that lower illness and death among affected agricultural workers.
How similar studies have performed: Related regional research has suggested links to heat stress, dehydration, and environmental exposures but no single cause has been confirmed, so this effort builds on prior findings without being fully proven.
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.