Familial hyperkalemic hypertension (FHHt) is a disease caused by mutations in 2 genes called WNK1 and WNK4. Patients have elevated blood pressure and high levels of potassium in their blood.

In a study appearing online on April 7 in advance of the print publication of the May 1 issue of the Journal of Clinical Investigation, David Ellis and colleagues from Oregon Health and Science University provide an elegant dissection of the interactions of WNK1 and WNK4.

The researchers show that the WNK proteins regulate human blood pressure by controlling salt excretion from the kidney. The findings provide insight into the relationship between WNK1 and WNK4 and also into FHHt.

TITLE: Mechanisms of WNK1 and WNK4 interaction to regulate thiazide-sensitive Na-Cl cotransport

AUTHOR CONTACT:
David H. Ellison
Oregon Health Sciences University, Portland, OR USA
Phone: (503) 494-8490; Fax: (503) 494-5330; E-mail: ellisondohsu.edu

View the PDF of this article at: the-jci/article.php?id=22452

Contact: Stacie Bloom
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