Association of FOS-like antigen 1 promoter polymorphism with podocyte foot process effacement in immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients.

Background: FOS has been implicated in the progression of renal disease including IgAN. In this study, we investigated whether polymorphisms of FOS family genes [FOS, FOSB, FOS-like antigen 1 (FOSL1), and FOSL2] were associated with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and the clinical phenotypes of IgAN patients.

Methods: We genotyped single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of FOS family genes (rs2239615 and rs7101 for FOS, rs12373539 and rs2282695 for FOSB, rs637571 for FOSL1, and rs925255 for FOSL2) using direct sequencing in 198 IgAN patients and 290 control subjects.

Association of BH3 interacting domain death agonist (BID) gene polymorphisms with proteinuria of immunoglobulin A nephropathy.

Background: Apoptosis plays an important role in the mechanism regulating the development of glomerulonephritis. We investigated whether polymorphisms of apoptotic genes such as B-cell CLL/lymphoma 2 (BCL2), BH3-interacting domain death agonist (BID), and caspase 8 (CASP8) were associated with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) and with the clinical phenotypes of IgAN patients.

Methods: We genotyped promoter and coding region single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs2279115 and rs1801018 for BCL2; rs8190315 and rs2072392 for BID; and rs6747918 and rs1045487 for CASP8) using direct sequencing in 195 IgAN patients and 289 control subjects.

A polymorphism of interleukin-22 receptor alpha-1 is associated with the development of childhood IgA nephropathy.

Recent studies suggest that dysregulated innate immunity plays an important role in the pathogenesis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). The interleukin-20 subfamily and its receptor, interleukin-22 receptor alpha-1 (IL-22R1), were recently identified as immunomodulators in human diseases, acting as mediators of mucosal host defense. However, the potential role of IL-22R1 in the pathogenesis of IgAN has not been explored.

Interleukin 7 receptor gene polymorphisms and haplotypes are associated with susceptibility to IgA nephropathy in Korean children.

An abnormal T-cell response is involved in the pathogenesis of various renal diseases. Survival of naïve T cells is dependent on interleukin 7 (IL7) and its receptor (IL7R). Thus, we investigated the association between IL7R single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) and childhood IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

Relationship between glomerulomegaly and clinicopathologic findings in IgA nephropathy.

Background: Large glomeruli are a common finding in the early stages of progressive renal disease. We studied the relationship between glomerular surface area (GSA) and clinicopathologic features of IgA nephropathy (IgAN), including renal outcome, to better understand the role of GSA in IgAN.

Methods: We analyzed renal biopsy specimens and clinical information from 34 patients with IgAN.

The clinical significance of serum cystatin C in critically ill newborns with normal serum creatinine.

Background: The aim of this study is to evaluate the clinical significance of cystatin C(CysC) in the newborns who show normal serum creatinine (Cr) and who are in an intensive care unit.

Methods: From July 2009 to May 2010, a total of 106 patients (53 male and 53 female newborns) in a neonatal intensive care unit at Kyung Hee Medical Center were enrolled in this study. When clinicians ordered CysC, it was tested using HiSens Cystatin-C LTIA(HBi, An-yang, Korea) on a Toshiba chemical analyzer (Toshiba, Nasushiobara, Japan).

Association between lymphotoxin beta receptor gene polymorphisms and IgA nephropathy in Korean children.

Lymphotoxin beta receptor (LTBR) is essential for development and organization of the secondary lymphoid tissues. To investigate whether LTBR polymorphisms are associated with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) in Korean children, One hundred ninety nine patients with IgAN and 289 controls were recruited. Two promoter single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) (rs3759333, -1387C/T and rs3759334, -1326A/G) and one coding SNP (rs2364480, Ala172Ala) in LTBR gene were selected and genotyped by direct sequencing.

Recent Advances of Oral Rehydration Therapy (ORT).

Diarrheal disease is one of the leading causes of worldwide morbidity and mortality, especially in children. It causes loss of body fluid, which may lead to severe dehydration, electrolyte imbalance, shock and even to death. The mortality rate from acute diarrhea has decreased over the last few decades.

Coding polymorphisms of bone morphogenetic protein 2 contribute to the development of childhood IgA nephropathy.

Bone morphogenetic proteins (BMPs) are multi-functional growth factors belonging to the transforming growth factor β (TGFB) superfamily and are important in both preservation of kidney function and resistance to injury. BMP2 is highly regulated in the kidney, and high affinity binding sites for BMP2 have been identified in kidney epithelial cells. BMP2 has been demonstrated to play various roles in the pathogenesis of renal diseases.

Polymorphisms of CXCL8 and its receptor CXCR2 contribute to the development and progression of childhood IgA nephropathy.

Many studies have suggested that CXCL8 and CXCR2 play an important role in the pathogenesis of several types of renal diseases. However, there is no prior study on the association between polymorphisms of these genes and IgA nephropathy (IgAN), especially in children. The genotyping data from 192 patients with childhood IgAN and 397 controls showed significant differences in the frequencies of the CXCL8 gene with rs2227306 (dominant, P = 0.

Linkage and association study of neurotrophins and their receptors as novel susceptibility genes for childhood IgA nephropathy.

Neurotrophins (NTs) and their receptors (NTRs) are known to be important for pathogenesis of various inflammatory diseases that occur in not only neuronal but also nonneuronal tissues, including kidney. Here, we investigated association between childhood IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of genes encoding NTs [nerve growth factor (NGF) and brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)] and NTRs [nerve growth factor receptor (NGFR) and neurotrophic tyrosine kinase receptor 1-3 (NTRK1-3)]. The genotyping data of 197 patients and 289 control subjects revealed significant association between NGF SNP rs11102930 and presence of IgAN.

Polymorphisms of insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) contribute to pathologic progression in childhood IgA nephropathy.

Previous studies have suggested that insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) signaling might play an important role in renal fibrosis and regulation of the proliferation of mesangial cells and podocytes. We conducted the present study to investigate association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of IGF-1 (IGF-1) and IGF-1 receptor (IGF-1R) genes and childhood immunoglobulin (Ig) A nephropathy (IgAN). We analyzed five SNPs of IGF-1 and IGF-1R in 188 pediatric IgAN patients and in 263 healthy controls.

Association between toll-like receptor 10 (TLR10) gene polymorphisms and childhood IgA nephropathy.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs) play an important role in the induction and regulation of the innate immune system and adaptive immune responses. TLR10 gene polymorphisms have been reported to be associated with a range of immune-related diseases. In this study, we investigated the association of TLR10 gene polymorphisms with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) in Korean children.

Clinical and histologic response to methylprednisolone pulse therapy in glomerulonephritis.

We retrospectively analyzed the data of the first and second renal biopsies to investigate the adverse effects as well as the clinical and histologic responses of methylprednisolone pulse therapy in patients with chronic glomerulonephritis. At the time of the second renal biopsy, the activity index had decreased significantly and the chronicity index was well preserved. The activity index and interstitial fibrosis were improved in the complete and partial remission groups, but not in the nonresponse group.

Phosphodiesterase-5 gene (PDE5A) polymorphisms are associated with progression of childhood IgA nephropathy.

The phosphodiesterase-5 (PDE-5) gene is highly specific to cyclic GMP (cGMP) and several experimental studies have shown that the nitric oxide/cGMP pathway plays an important role in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis, including IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The present study was conducted to investigate the association among 16 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of PDE5A and childhood IgAN. The genotyping data from 160 patients with childhood IgAN and 454 controls showed a significant difference in rs13124532 (codominant, P = 0.

Linkage and association study of discoidin domain receptor 1 as a novel susceptibility gene for childhood IgA nephropathy.

In several experimental studies, it has been suggested that discoidin domain receptor 1 (DDR1) plays an important role in the regulation of mesangial proliferation, glomerular basement membrane thickening, renal fibrosis, and in the development of inflammation in several tissue types, including renal tissues. The present study was conducted to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the DDR1 gene and childhood IgA nephropathy (IgAN). The genotyping data of 180 childhood IgAN patients and 336 controls showed significant differences in the frequency of rs1264319 (dominant model, P=0.

Polymorphisms of signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 and 4 (STAT1 and STAT4) contribute to progression of childhood IgA nephropathy.

Background: Several experimental studies have suggested that signal transducers and activators of transcription 1 and 4 (STAT1 and STAT4) play important roles in the regulation of mesangial proliferation and renal fibrosis, and in the development of inflammation in several types of glomerulonephritis.

Methods: The present study was conducted to investigate the association between single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the STAT1 and STAT4 genes and childhood IgA nephropathy (IgAN).

Results: Genotyping of 170 childhood IgAN patients and 442 controls showed no significant differences in allele frequency.

Multidetector computed tomography findings and correlations with proteinuria in nutcracker syndrome.

We evaluated the effectiveness of multidetector computed tomography (MDCT) as a diagnostic tool for nutcracker syndrome (NS) and its association with proteinuria. The angle and distance between the aorta and the superior mesenteric artery (SMA), the degree of difference in corticomedullary enhancement (DCE) between kidneys in the nephrographic phase of computed tomography, peak velocity ratio (PVR), and anteroposterior diameter ratio (APDR) in the sonogram were measured. The MDCT results, sonogram results, and the ratio of protein:creatinine were significantly different between NS patients and the controls.