The importance of a histology-based diagnosis of interstitial nephropathy in two patients with renal insufficiency.

Case 1 A 68-year-old Belgian woman was referred in November 1997 forevaluation of renal failure (serum creatinine 2.8 mg/dl). Herpast medical history included hypothyroidism treated by L-thyroxinsince 1992, resection of an endometrial polyp in 1996 and chronicconstipation for many years. Her current treatment includedvarious laxatives (lactulose, bisacodyl) and anxiolytics (flupentixol).She acknowledged the previous intake of phenacetin and dexfenfluramine,but denied that of Chinese herbs or any other herbal phytotherapy. View larger version (147K): [in this window] [in a new window]   Fig. 1.  Extensive cortical and medullary hypocellular interstitial fibrosis with tubular atrophy (case 1). Few ischaemic glomeruli are still visible in the deep cortex. Intimal fibrous thickening and mucoid fibrous hyperplasia of interlobular and arcuate arteries, respectively. HE x40.   On admission, the patient was thin: body weight 49 kg, height1.59 m; her blood pressure was 200/90     

伴有慢性肾衰竭的马兜铃酸肾病与IgA肾病的配对研究

目的:了解伴有慢性肾衰竭的马兜铃酸肾病患者与IgA肾病患者的临床病理差异.方法:分析11例马兜铃酸肾病患者的临床病理资料,并与经肾活检确诊的IgA肾病患者进行配对比较.结果:两组患者的年龄、性别、血肌酐水平无明显差异(P>0.05),马兜铃酸肾病患者镜下血尿发生率低于IgA肾病患者(P<0.05).在血肌酐水平无明显差异时,马兜铃酸肾病患者血红蛋白浓度明显低于IgA肾病患者(P<0.01),尿蛋白定量和肾脏的长径少于IgA肾病患者(P<0.05).间质纤维化程度重于IgA肾病患者(P<0.05),而间质炎细胞浸润少(P<0.05).结论:伴有慢性肾衰竭的马兜铃酸肾病患者临床发展隐匿,与IgA肾病比较,肾小管间质损伤是造成肾功能损害的主要原因,因此要重视对马兜铃酸肾病的早期防治.     

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Pre-emptive Short-term Nicotinamide Mononucleotide Treatment in a Mouse Model of Diabetic Nephropathy

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Is Analgesic Nephropathy Still a Problem in Belgium?

End-stage renal failure due to analgesic nephropathy still frequentlyoccurs in Belgium. In a study conducted at the end of 1984 including53 of the 54 dialysis centres, a prevalence of analgesic nephropathyin dialysis patients of 17.9% was found. The epicentre of thedisease was situated in a small area in the northern part ofthe country, the southern part showed a clearly lower prevalence. The annual consumption of analgesic preparations in 1983 wasapproximatively 25 g per capita, in the north as well as inthe south. In the north analgesic mixtures in powder form hadan important market share in some particular areas, where theprevalence of end-stage renal failure due to analgesic nephropathyis the greatest. A general population survey (n=855) showed that 83% of subjectshad analgesic medications at home. Abuse of these drugs wasfound in 2.1% of the studied population. Abusers were mainlyfemales most commonly taking analgesic mixtures.     

Effect of sodium bicarbonate in an experimental model of radiocontrast nephropathy

Aim: The aim of this study is to investigate the efficacy and mechanism of action of intravenous (IV) bicarbonate in preventing radiocontrast nephropathy (RCN). Materials and methods: Twenty-eight Wistar rats were randomized into four groups including control (group 1), radiocontrast (group 2), bicarbonate (group 3), and radiocontrast plus bicarbonate (group 4). Once blood chemistry and arterial blood gases were examined and 24 h urine samples were collected, all rats were administered furosemide (2 mg/kg subcutaneous) and deprived of water for 24 h. Iothalamate sodium (6 mL/kg) was administered to group 2 and group 4. IV bicarbonate (8.4%) was administered to group 3 and group 4 (3 h before the administration of iothalamate). On the fourth day, 24 h urine was collected, and at the end of the day rats were sacrificed and blood chemistry and arterial blood gases were reexamined. Myeloperoxidase (MPO), nitric oxide (NO), total glutathione, and malondialdehyde were quantified on the renal tissue. H&E slides were examined. Results: Basal creatinine and creatinine clearance were similar between groups. There was no significant difference between creatinine and creatinine clearance by the end of the experiment. Glutathione level in group 2 was lower than in group 4. Histopathologically, there was no injury in the control group (group 1) whereas there was an intermediate-severe injury (71.4%) in the radiocontrast group (group 2). The percentage of intermediate-severe injury was significantly lower (71.4% vs. 28.6%, p = 0.02) in the radiocontrast plus bicarbonate group (group 4). Conclusions: Sodium bicarbonate attenuates the development of radiocontrast-induced tubular necrosis.     

IgA Nephropathy Associated with Thin Basement Membrane with or without Inflammatory Disease: Getting a Different Prognosis?

Background. Thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) patients with additional inflammatory diseases and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) have not been reported before. It was unclear that if the prognosis of these patients is better or worse than patients with IgAN and TBMN, or IgAN patients with normal glomerular basement membrane (GBM). Methods. We first reported five TBMN patients with additional inflammatory diseases and IgAN: three were with rheumatoid arthritis, and two had Crohn's disease. Clinical and laboratory features were analyzed between this group (group 3), IgAN patients with normal GBM (group 1), and patients with TBMN and IgAN (group 2). Results. Significant differences were observed in serum levels of IgG, IgA, and IgM between groups 1 and 3, p < 0.001, and between groups 2 and 3, p < 0.001. Glomerular filtration rate (GFR) in group 3 was significantly lower than that of groups 1 and 2, p < 0.01, respectively. Conclusion. The prognosis of these patients is worse than patients with IgAN and TBMN or IgAN patients with normal GBM. Serum immunoglobulin levels and GFR in these patients were different from patients with IgAN and TBMN, or IgAN patients with normal GBM.     

家族性IgA肾病的诊断及临床特征——并一4代40名成员家系分析

目的：复习国内外文献,明确遗传性IgA肾病的诊断标准,并对一较完整的4代40例家族性IgA肾病家系的临床及遗传特征进行对照分析。方法：对所获家系详细调查成员组成,并对现存的家系成员进行血常规、尿常规、肝肾功能、肾脏超声检查以及皮肤活检,排除其他遗传性疾病以及继发性肾脏病;对6例患者行肾脏活检了解病理类型,对照国内外家族性IgA肾病的诊断标准,明确该家系的诊断、了解其遗传特征。结果：目前国际上对于家族性IgA肾病的诊断分为4种情况：（1）可以明确诊断FIgAN;（2）疑似可能的FIgAN;（3）明确排除FIgAN;（4）无法确定的FIgAN。根据已知该家系的遗传关系绘制家系图,对现存的家系成员临床资料进行分析：27个非婚配家系成员中,12例患病,其中3例发生ESRD,9位成员存在不同程度的镜下血尿、蛋白尿和（或）血肌酐升高,8例因年龄尚小暂不能确定患病状态,需要长期的随访观察其尿检的变化情况。患者中6例行肾活检,3例为IgA肾病,另3例为系膜增殖性肾小球肾炎,电镜结果均未发现基底膜厚度的异常,6例皮肤活检未发现Ⅳ型胶原的缺失,排除了Alport综合征。结论：根据国内外诊断标准,该家系成员可以明确诊断为家族性IgA肾病。FIgAN是IgA肾病的特殊类型,预后较差,应引起临床医生对此疾病的重视,以期尽早的明确诊断及治疗。     

Impact of recurrent disease and chronic allograft nephropathy on the long‐term allograft outcome in patients with IgA nephropathy

Although recurrent IgA nephropathy (IgAN) may lead to graft dysfunction after transplantation, donation from living related donor (LRD), with whom the risk of recurrence may be higher, is not a contraindication. Herein, we evaluated the natural history of allograft in recipients with IgAN and the risk factors influencing long‐term allograft outcome. Recurrence rate and graft survival were assessed retrospectively in 221 IgAN patients, including transplants from 139 LRDs (62.9%). Ten‐year cumulative rate for recurrent IgAN was 30.8%. The operation at younger age and donation from LRD were significant for the recurrence by multivariate analysis. Ten‐year graft survival was affected by recurrent IgAN (61.0% in recurrent IgAN group vs. 85.1% in nonrecurrent, P < 0.01). However, transplants from LRDs did not show poor graft survival when compared with those from other types of donors. In transplants from LRDs, the incidence of chronic allograft nephropathy (CAN) was lower than those in grafts from deceased donors (10.8% vs. 19.5%, P < 0.05). When CAN was considered in addition to recurrence, the variance of graft survival was affected significantly by the development of CAN than by the recurrence. These results suggest that the detection and adequate management of CAN could improve graft outcome in transplant recipients with IgAN.     

Glomerular expression of connective tissue growth factor mRNA in various renal diseases

SUMMARY:   Connective tissue growth factor (CTGF) is a cysteine-rich member of a new family of growth regulators. It is an important factor in the pathogenesis of mesangial matrix accumulation and progressive glomerulosclerosis. The present study was designed to elucidate the role of CTGF in diabetic nephropathy (DN), immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgA-N), membranous nephropathy (MN), and minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS). We evaluated the expression and localization of CTGF mRNA in surgically excised renal tissue samples from 10 patients with DN, 10 with IgA-N, 10 with MN, 10 with MCNS, and 10 normal human kidney (NHK) tissue samples, by using high-resolution in situ hybridization with digoxigenin-labelled oligonucleotide. To quantify CTGF mRNA expression, we counted all nuclei, and nuclei surrounded by CTGF-positive cytoplasm, in at least 10 randomly selected cross-sections of non-sclerotic glomeruli, and expressed the results as a percentage of total glomerular cells. In all glomeruli, CTGF mRNA was expressed mainly in glomerular intrinsic cells, including glomerular mesangial and epithelial cells and some cells of Bowman's capsule. The percentage of cells positive for CTGF mRNA was significantly higher in DN and IgA-N than in MN, MCNS and NHK. However, there was no significant difference in the percentage of CTGF mRNA-positive cells between DN and IgA-N. Our study indicates that CTGF may play an important role in the development and progression of glomerulosclerosis in DN and IgA-N, which are both accompanied by mesangial matrix expansion and comprise two major causes of end-stage renal failure.     

膜性乙型肝炎病毒相关性肾炎与特发性膜性肾病临床对比分析

目的：探讨膜性乙型肝炎病毒相关肾炎（HBV-MN）的临床、病理特点及中医证候特征。方法：采用回顾性分析方法,比较27例HBV-MN和31例特发性膜性肾病（IMN）临床表现、肾脏病理及中医证候等方面的异同。结果：（1）临床表现：HBV-MN组发病年龄明显低于IMN组（P〈0.05）;两组临床表现构成比经Fisher精确卡方检验具有统计学差异（P〈0.05）。（2）肾脏病理：两组均以Ⅰ期、Ⅱ期膜性肾病常见,肾脏病理分期无统计学差异（P〉0.05）;光镜检查,两组肾小球、肾小管间质及肾血管等各项病理积分无统计学差异（P〉0.05）;免疫荧光检查,HBV-MN组表现为多种免疫复合物、多部位、高强度沉积,而IMN组主要以IgG、C3在上皮下和基底膜高强度沉积。（3）中医证候：本虚证中,两组均以脾肾气虚所占比例最高,而且两组本虚证候分布及各项本虚证候积分均无统计学差异（P〉0.05）;标实证中,HBV-MN组湿热证所占比例明显高于IMN组（P〈0.05）,而IMN组中血瘀证和水气证所占比例明显高于HBV-MN组（P〈0.05）。HBV-MN组湿热证候积分明显大于IMN组（P〈0.05）,而IMN组血瘀证候积分明显大于HBV-MN组（P〈0.01）。结论：HBV-MN多发于男性中、青年,主要临床表现为肾病综合征、慢性肾炎综合征合并肾病综合征;病理特征为多种免疫复合物、多部位、高强度沉积,以Ⅰ期、Ⅱ期膜性肾病常见;中医证候以脾肾气虚挟湿热为主。     

Evolving spectrum of diabetic nephropathy

Diabetes remains an important health issue as more patients with chronic and uncontrolled diabetes develop diabetic nephropathy(DN), which classically presents with proteinuria followed by a progressive decrease in renal function.However, an increasing proportion of DN patients have a decline in kidney function and vascular complications without proteinuria, known as nonproteinuric DN(NP-DN). Despite the increased incidence of NP-DN, few clinical or experimental studies have thoroughly investigated the pathophysiological mechanisms and targeted treatment for this form of DN. In this review, we will examine the differences between conventional DN and NP-DN and consider potential pathophysiological mechanisms, diagnostic markers, and treatment for both DN and NP-DN. The investigation of the pathophysiology of NP-DN should provide additional insight into the cardiovascular factors influencing renal function and disease and provide novel treatments for the vascular complications seen in diabetic patients.