A founder pathogenic variant resulting in autosomal recessive Alport syndrome accounts for most genetic kidney failure in Romani people.

Introduction: Romani people have a high prevalence of kidney failure. This study examined a Romani cohort for pathogenic variants in the , and genes that are affected in Alport syndrome (AS), a common cause of genetic kidney disease, characterized by hematuria, proteinuria, end-stage kidney failure, hearing loss, and eye anomalies.

Materials And Methods: The study included 57 Romani from different families with clinical features that suggested AS who underwent next-generation sequencing (NGS) of the genes, and 83 family members.