A Prospective Study on Complement Activation Distinguishes Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis from Minimal Change Disease.

Introduction: Minimal change disease (MCD) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) are related podocytopathies with distinct kidney outcomes. Surprisingly, elevated urinary activation fragments have been found in FSGS despite little complement deposition on immunofluorescence (IF) staining. Whether complement activation distinguishes FSGS from MCD, participating in the development of segmental lesions, remains unknown.

Renal Thrombotic Microangiopathy: A Review.

Thrombotic microangiopathy (TMA), a pathological lesion observed in a wide spectrum of diseases, is triggered by endothelial injury and/or dysfunction. Although TMA lesions are often accompanied by clinical features of microangiopathic hemolytic anemia, thrombocytopenia, and ischemic end-organ injury, renal-limited forms of TMA are not infrequently encountered in clinical practice. The presence of renal-limited manifestations can be diagnostically challenging, often delaying the initiation of targeted therapy.

Association between proteinuria and placental pathology in preeclampsia: A retrospective study.

Introduction: Preeclampsia develops due to placental insufficiency and systemic proinflammatory and antiangiogenic mediator release, with ensuing systemic endothelial dysfunction. Nephrotic-range proteinuria appears to be associated with worse pregnancy outcomes. The relationship between differing degrees of proteinuria and the severity of placental alterations has not been studied.

Clinical Use of Complement, Inflammation, and Fibrosis Biomarkers in Autoimmune Glomerulonephritis.

Introduction: Complement activation, inflammation, and fibrosis play central roles in the mechanisms of injury in autoimmune glomerulonephritis (GN) but they are seldom assessed in epidemiologic studies. The measurement of urinary biomarkers of these pathways of injury could parallel disease activity and add clinical value beyond proteinuria.

Methods: We performed a prospective cohort study of 100 patients with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), membranous nephropathy (MN), IgA nephropathy (IgAN), lupus nephritis (LN), anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-associated vasculitis (AAV), and membranoproliferative GN (MPGN) followed for 33 (18-54) months.

Novel role of the renin-angiotensin system in preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension and the effects of exercise in a mouse model.

Gestational hypertensive disorders, such as preeclampsia, affect 6% to 8% of all pregnancies in North America, and they are the leading cause of maternal mortality in industrialized countries, accounting for 16% of deaths. Women with hypertension have an increased risk (15% to 25%) of developing preeclampsia. Our aim was to investigate the mechanisms implicated in preeclampsia superimposed on chronic hypertension and in the protective effects of exercise in a mouse model.

Impact of exercise training on preeclampsia: potential preventive mechanisms.

Preeclampsia is characterized by hypertension and de novo proteinuria after 20 weeks of pregnancy. It is the leading cause of perinatal morbidity and mortality in the developed world, and to date, the only means of treating the disease is by inducing delivery. Many studies have shown the benefits of exercise training on normal pregnancy.