Understanding CKDu in Chorotega, Costa Rica
The Chorotega CKDu Epidemiology Field Study
This project compares people with chronic kidney disease of uncertain cause and similar local neighbors to look for environmental, occupational, and familial factors linked to CKDu in the Chorotega agricultural region.
Quick facts
| Grant type | U01 cooperative agreement |
|---|---|
| Study type | NIH-funded research |
| Funding institution | Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill NIH-funded |
| Lab location | 1 site (Chapel Hill, United States) |
| Project ID | NIH-11166623 on NIH RePORTER |
What this research studies
You would be invited to join a group of about 800 people — roughly 400 with signs of CKDu and 400 local controls — for medical exams, interviews, and follow-up. Study teams will collect blood, urine and other biological samples and perform environmental and workplace measurements around homes and farms. There is a nested family study to see whether CKDu clusters in families, and participants will be followed over time for health changes. The work is run from a field center in Liberia (Guanacaste, Chorotega) in partnership with UNC and the University of Costa Rica.
Who could benefit from this research
Good fit: Ideal candidates are residents of the Chorotega region (including agricultural workers and their family members) who have evidence of CKDu or comparable local individuals without CKDu.
Not a fit: People living outside the Chorotega region, those whose kidney disease has a known cause (for example from diabetes or autoimmune disease), or those unable to provide samples or attend visits are unlikely to benefit directly from participating.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, the findings could identify specific causes or exposures to prevent CKDu and improve early detection and care for affected communities.
How similar studies have performed: Prior regional studies have suggested factors like heat stress and chemical exposures but have not identified a definitive cause, so this larger, detailed field approach builds on earlier work without being a previously proven cure.
Where this research is happening
Chapel Hill, United States
- Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill — Chapel Hill, United States (Active)
Researchers
- Principal investigator: Franceschini, Nora — Univ of North Carolina Chapel Hill
- Study coordinator: Franceschini, Nora
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.