Loss of function for crb2b and nphs1 in Danio rerio were previously shown to result in loss of the slit diaphragms of the podocytes, leading to the hypothesis that nephrosis develops from an inability to develop a functional glomerular barrier.
Mutations in the <i>NPHS1, NPHS2, LAMB2</i>, and the <i>WT1</i> genes are responsible for causing nephrotic syndrome (NS) in two third of the early onset cases.
The aim of the study was to evaluate NPHS1 mutations, its susceptibility to the disease, and their association in children with steroid-resistant NS; mutation frequency of 9% was observed in patients with steroid-resistant NS, of which, six mutations and two single-nucleotide polymorphisms observed in the study population were found to be novel.