ISSN:
1440-1797
Source:
Blackwell Publishing Journal Backfiles 1879-2005
Topics:
Medicine
Notes:
Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a member of the new family of growth regulators. It plays an important role of the pathogenesis of mesangial matrix accumulation and progressive glomerulosclerosis in IgA nephropathy (IgAN).We investigated the expression and localization of CTGF mRNA in renal tissues of patients with IgAN and normal human kidneys (NHK), using in situ hybridization with digoxigenin-labelled oligonucleotide. Open renal biopsy tissues were obtained from 16 patients with IgAN. The renal pathology was categorized into four grades by light microscopic findings. The expression level of CTGF mRNA was quantified by counting all nuclei, as well as nuclei surrounded by CTGF mRNA-positive cytoplasm in randomly selected non-sclerotic glomeruli and expressing the results as the percentage of total cells.Connective tissue growth factor mRNA was mainly expressed in glomerular mesangial and epithelial cells in both IgAN and NHK, and cells of Bowman’s capsule. In IgAN, CTGF mRNA-positive cells were increased in tubulointerstitial fibrotic areas. The percentage of positive cells for CTGF mRNA was significantly higher in IgAN than in NHK. The percentage of positive cells for CTGF mRNA in each IgAN grade was significantly higher than that in NHK. Furthermore, the percentage of positive cells for CTGF mRNA was significantly greater in IgAN with moderate mesangial proliferative lesions (grade 2, grade 3) than in IgAN with mild mesangial proliferative lesions.Our study suggests that CTGF may play an important role in the development and progression of glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis in IgAN.
Type of Medium:
Electronic Resource
URL:
http://dx.doi.org/10.1046/j.1440-1797.2001.00010.x
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