Detection of the hepatitis C virus antigen in kidney tissue from infected patients with various glomerulonephritis.

Background: Several studies have postulated a causal link between hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and renal diseases through the induction of cryoglobulinaemia. However, the detection of viral antigens within kidneys of HCV-infected patients has proved to be difficult. We studied a cohort of Chinese HCV-infected patients with various glomerulonephritis (GN) in an attempt to detect HCV antigens within their kidneys.

[Pro-apoptotic effect of decorin on rat mesangial cells in vitro].

Objective: To investigate the effects of over-expression of decorin (DCN) gene on apoptosis of cultured rat mesangial cells (MsC).

Methods: PcDNA3.1A-DCN plasmid was transfected into cultured rat MsC by the induction of liposome and positive clones were selected by treating the cells with G418.

Elevation of serum von Willebrand factor and anti-endothelial cell antibodies in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy are associated with intrarenal arterial lesions.

Aim: Recent studies suggest that intrarenal arterial lesions are frequently observed in patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). However, the mechanisms of the injury have not been elucidated. The level of serum von Willebrand factor (vWF) and the prevalence of anti-endothelial cell antibodies (AECA) were investigated in patients with IgAN with different intrarenal arterial lesions.

Ultrastructural features and expression of cytoskeleton proteins of podocyte from patients with minimal change disease and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis.

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) and minimal change disease (MCD) have been suggested for the category of podocytopathies. An ultrastructural observation and immunogold labeling for cytoskeleton proteins of podocytes on 11 cases each of FSGS and MCD were performed. Compared to MCD, more severe ultrastructural alterations of podocyte were identified in FSGS, which were characterized by higher frequency of mat-like condensation of microfilaments in the foot process and the detachment of the foot process from glomerular basement membrane.

Overexpression of decorin induces apoptosis and cell growth arrest in cultured rat mesangial cells in vitro.

Background: Decorin (DCN) is a small leucine-rich proteoglycan that plays an important role in the regulation of intercellular contact, cell migration and proliferation. DCN suppresses cell growth and induces apoptosis in various tumour cells. The aim of this study was to investigate whether overexpression of DCN could induce apoptosis and cell growth arrest in mesangial cells (MsCs) in vitro.

Detection of UCH-L1 expression by pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy with colloidal gold labeling in diseased glomeruli.

The purpose of this report was to study the use of pre-embedding immunoelectron microscopy technique with gold and horseradish peroxidase (HRP) labeling in detecting the expression of ubiquitin C-terminal hydrolase 1 (UCH-L1) of podocytes in glomerulonephritis. The specimens of human IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis were fixed with paraformaldehyde and lysine-HCl buffer, labeled by colloidal gold or HRP, embedded with epoxy resin, and examined under the transmission electron microscope. The high density of gold particles or peroxidase reaction products (DAB) combined with UCH-L1 was obvious in cytoplasm and processes of podocytes.

[Angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia involving the kidney: a report of three cases with literature review].

Objective: To report the clinical and pathological characteristics of renal involvement in angiolymphoid hyperplasia with eosinophilia (ALHE).

Methods: Three cases of ALHE with renal involvement were diagnosed in our hospital. Routine pathological examination and immunohistochemical study of CD(31), CD(34) and F(8) of lymph node and renal biopsy specimens were performed and the clinical and pathological features were analysed.

[Clinical analysis of 8 cases with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis].

Objective: To study the clinical and pathological features of cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis.

Methods: The clinical and pathologic data from 8 cases with cryoglobulinemic glomerulonephritis, which were referred to Peking University First Hospital from 2002 to 2006, were reviewed.

Results: There were seven males and one female, with an average age of 48.

[Correlation analysis on blood stasis syndrome, clinical features and renal pathology in 174 patients with primary glomerular diseases].

Objective: To investigate the relationship between degree of TCM blood-stasis syndrome (BSS) with clinic features and renal pathological type of primary glomerular disease (PGD).

Methods: On-site investigation was adopted, 174 patients with PGD conforming to the inclusive/exclusive criteria were enrolled, and their degree of BSS and deficiency syndrome were scored in 3 days before renal biopsies. The relation of clinical indexes, including age, course of disease, symptoms of deficiency syndrome, 24-h urinary protein excretion (Upro), condition of hypertension and its controlling, glomerular filtrating rate (GFR) based on the predigesting equation of MDRD, and blood levels of uric acid (UA), triglyceride (TG), cholesterol (CHO), hemoglobin (Hb), and albumin (ALB), with the renal pathological type and the BSS score were analyzed.

[Clinicopathologic features of membranous nephropathy coexisting with IgA nephropathy].

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features of membranous nephropathy coexisting with IgA nephropathy.

Methods: The renal biopsies performed in Peking University First Hospital during the period from January, 1998 to April, 2006 were retrospectively reviewed. The clinicopathologic features of 11 cases of membranous nephropathy coexisting with IgA nephropathy were studied.

Clinical and pathological features of renal involvement in propylthiouracil-associated ANCA-positive vasculitis.

Background: The kidney is one of the organs affected in patients with propylthiouracil (PTU)-associated antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-positive vasculitis. We present a series of Chinese patients with renal involvement in PTU-associated ANCA-positive vasculitis and describe their clinical and pathological characteristics.

Methods: Clinical and pathological data from patients with PTU-associated ANCA-positive vasculitis with renal involvement, diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital, were collected and analyzed retrospectively.

[Study on dynamic accumulation of secondary metabolites content and isoenzyme activity during blossoming stages in Chrysanthemum morifolium originating from Wenxian county].

Objective: To study the anabolic rule of secondary metabolites and dynamic activity of isoenzyme in Chrysanthemum morifolium originating from Wenxian county during blossoming stages.

Method: The flavonoid, chlorogenic acid and anthocyanin content as well as the PAL, PPO and POD activity were determined in C. morifolium originating from Wenxian county during blossoming stages.

[Clinicopathologic study of different variants of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis].

Objective: To study the clinicopathologic features of different variants of primary focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

Methods: One hundred and two cases of FSGS were retrieved from the archival files of Peking University First Hospital during the past 6-year period. The pathologic findings were reviewed and the degrees of active and chronic changes were assessed by morphometric analysis.

Clinical and pathological characteristics and outcomes of Chinese patients with primary anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies-associated systemic vasculitis with immune complex deposition in kidney.

Aim: To analyse the clinical and pathological characteristics of Chinese patients with immune complex deposition in kidney in anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA)-positive vasculitis.

Methods: Enrolled in this study are patients with immune complex deposition in kidney in ANCA-positive vasculitis diagnosed in Peking University First Hospital. Their clinical and pathological data were collected and analysed.

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody-negative Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis.

Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) is one of the most common causes of rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. The majority of patients with pauci-immune CrGN had circulating antineutrophil cytoplasmic autoantibody (ANCA). However, patients with ANCA-negative pauci-immune CrGN were not investigated fully.

Renal histology in Chinese patients with anti-myeloperoxidase autoantibody-positive Wegener's granulomatosis.

Background: Proteinase-3 antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (PR3-ANCA) was the serological marker for Wegener's granulomatosis (WG), while myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA was the serological marker for microscopic polyangiitis (MPA). However, our previous study suggested that patients with MPO-ANCA positive WG were common in Chinese. This study aimed to analyse the renal histology of patients with MPO-ANCA positive WG.

[Two cases report and literature review of IgA nephropathy combined with primary membranous nephropathy].

Objective: To describe the clinical and pathological characteristics and prognosis of IgA nephropathy coexisting with membranous nephropathy (MN).

Methods: Two cases were confirmed to have IgA nephropathy as well as primary MN by immunofluorescence and immuno-electron microscopy for renal biopsy and clinical data. Clinical and pathological manifestations were collected and prognosis was investigated.

Concurrent antiglomerular basement membrane disease and immune complex glomerulonephritis.

Antiglomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is characteristically described with linear deposition of IgG along GBM. However, the concurrent glomerular immune complex deposition was not rare and might be contributed to the development of anti-GBM disease. In the current series, glomerular immune complexes were identified in 10 of 47 patients who presented with renal-biopsy-proven anti-GBM disease.

Increase in extracellular cross-linking by tissue transglutaminase and reduction in expression of MMP-9 contribute differentially to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis in rats.

Tissue transglutaminase (tTG) is a Ca(2+)-dependent enzyme which stabilizes the extracellular matrix (ECM) through post-translational modification, and may play an important role in the pathogenesis of focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Here, we have investigated whether tTG contributes to the glomerular ECM expansion in the puromycin aminonucleoside (PAN)-injection-induced experimental rat model of FSGS. The localization and expression of tTG, MMP-9 gelatinase, and the ECM component fibronectin (FN) in kidneys was determined by immunohistochemistry and measured by semi-quantitative analysis.

[Collagen type III glomerulopathy: a morphologic study].

Objective: To study the morphologic changes of collagen type III glomerulopathy and to investigate the possible cellular origin for collagen III production.

Methods: Light microscopy, immunofluorescent staining, immunohistochemistry (for collagen I, III and IV and alpha-SMA) and electron microscopy studies on 3 renal biopsy cases of collagen type III glomerulopathy were performed.

Results: Two cases presented with nephrotic syndrome, one of which was associated with systemic hypertension.

[Effect of tegaserod on the serotonin content in rat ileocaecal mucosa under partial restraint stress].

Objective: To investigate the content and distribution of serotonin in the ileocecal mucosa of rats under partial restraint stress (PRS) and to study the effect of tegaserod on the content of serotonin in the positive cells.

Methods: Male Wistar rats (n = 24) were divided into three test groups. After sham-stress (control group) or PRS had been applied to the rats for two hours, 1-methyl-2-pyrrolidinone (solvent) or tegaserod (a partial 5-HT(4) receptor agonist) was administered intra-peritoneally to the corresponding groups.

[Peritubular capillary injury in Chinese herb guan-mu-tong-induced acute tubular necrosis].

Objective: To explore the role and mechanisms of peritubular capillary (PTC) injury in the progression of Chinese Herb guan-mu-tong (GMT, aristolochiae manshuriensis kom) induced acute tubular necrosis (GMT-ATN).

Methods: Renal biopsy tissue from 4 cases of GMT-ATN and 5 cases of antibiotic induced ATN (A-ATN) were included in the study. Tubulointerstitial injury was semi-quantitatively assessed.

Glycated albumin activates PAI-1 transcription through Smad DNA binding sites in mesangial cells.

Amadori-modified glycated albumin stimulates extracellular matrix and transforming growth factor-beta (TGF-beta) expression in cultured mesangial cells. Smad proteins transduce the TGF-beta-mediated signal, and Smad-binding CAGA sequences are present in the plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) promoter. This study examined whether glycated albumin induces PAI-1 transcription in human mesangial cells (HMC) through Smad-binding sites in the PAI-1 promoter.