Fig. 1

A The geographic distribution of ADPKD patients enrolled in the study is displayed in a map, with color intensity indicating the number of patients recruited in each administrative region. This visualization provides an overview of the regional distribution of study participants and highlights the areas with higher recruitment rates. B The workflow of patient recruitment and DNA analysis strategies during two time periods, 2014–2017 and 2018–2020, is depicted. The diagram illustrates the step-by-step process of how patients were identified and included in the study, as well as the subsequent DNA analysis techniques employed. This visual representation explains the study's timeline and methodology, allowing for a better interpretation of the results and conclusions