TGFB1 and renal fibrosis: Meta-analysis of genome-wide association studies for DKD revealed novel association (P = 1.2 × 10–8) with SNPs in the AFF3 gene, a transcriptional activator that influences renal fibrosis through the TGFβ1 pathway, in individuals who had progressed to end stage renal disease (Sandholm et al., 2012).