活血软坚方对大鼠膜性肾小球肾炎肾小管间质损害影响的实验研究

目的：观察活血软坚方对大鼠膜性肾小球肾炎（MN）肾小管间质损害的影响，并探讨活血软坚中药对MN伴发小管间质损伤的作用机制。方法：用阳离子化牛血清白蛋白复制大鼠MN模型，将实验动物随机分为正常组、模型组、雷公藤组、治疗组，观察24h尿蛋白、血浆白蛋白、胆固醇、三酰甘油、血肌酐、尿素氮等生化指标，并对肾组织进行光镜、电镜、免疫荧光观察；采用RT—PCR的方法检测ColⅠmRNA和ColⅢmRNA的表达。结果：本方能明显降低蛋白尿及血清胆固醇、三酰甘油、血肌酐、尿素氮，升高血清白蛋白，减少免疫复合物沉积，改善肾小球及肾小管的病理损伤。结论：活血软坚方能减轻尿蛋白对肾小管的损伤，减少细胞外基质在肾间质的积聚，减轻肾脏病理损伤，从而达到保护肾功能的作用。     

Progressive tubulointerstitial nephritis and chronic cholestatic liver disease

We report the clinical and morphological features of a distinctive hepatorenal disorder in four patients and review the five similar patients in the literature. The main clinical characteristics were early onset of cholestatic liver disease and progressive tubulointerstitial nephritis leading to renal death in early childhood. Liver histology showed disturbed architecture with nodular and acinar formations and portal fibrosis and bile duct proliferation. Histological abnormalities in the kidney were severe interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy and dilatation, while the typical features of nephronophthisis were lacking. These clinical and morphological characteristics distinguish our patients from the majority described, as having nephronophthisis and congenital hepatic fibrosis or any other known syndrome with concomitant hepatorenel involvement. We suggest that the association of cholestatic liver disease and progressive tubulointerstitial nephritis represents a new syndrome.     

Tubular and interstitial factors in the progression of glomerulonephritis

All recent studies of the outcome of different forms of progressive glomerulonephritis concur that a major factor, apparently determining outcome, is the presence and severity of tubulointerstitial changes, and not the degree of glomerular alteration. Moreover, at the time of biopsy, tubulointerstitial changes correlate much better with the glomerular filtration rate. These at first surprising findings are not only useful clinically, but should make us think about our models of how progression takes place in so-called glomerular nephritides. In fact, a major tubulointerstitial infiltrate of immune-competent cells is present in all forms of progressive glomerulonephritis, and again correlates with outcome. In addition, it is now clear the tubular epithelium is capable of synthesising and secreting a number of factors important in fibrogenesis, and of displaying major histocompatibility complex class II antigens and leucocyte-adhesion molecules. Tubular cells could thus present peptides to T helper cells and amplify, or maybe even initiate, immune reactions. Finally, fibrogenesis within the kidney is at last being studied, long after studies have been performed on liver and lung. In the past, too much attention has been paid to reversible inflammation and not enough to irreversible cirrhosis of the kidney.Abbreviations used Ig immunoglobulin, e. g. IgA, IgG, IgM etc. - TBM tubular basement membrane - GBM glomerular basement membrane - WHO World Health Organization - MHC major histocompatibility complex - CD cluster determinant - NK natural killer - IL-1 interleukin-1 - IL-2 interleukin-2 - TNF- tumour necrosis factor alpha - ADCC antibody-dependent complement mediated cytolysis - ACE angiotensin-converting enzyme - m macrophage - ICAM-1 intercellular adhesion molecule-1 - ELAM-1 endothelial leucocyte adhesion molecule-1 - VCAM-1 vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 - LFA leucocyte function associated molecule, e. g. LFA-1, LFA-3 - C complement e. g. C3=third component of complement, etc. - TGF- transforming growth factor beta - TGF- transforming growth factor alpha - PDGF platelet derived growth factor - PAS periodic acid Schiff - TCR T cell receptor - PTEC proximal tubular epithelial cell - GM-CSF granulocyte colony stimulating factor - M-CSF monocyte colony stimulating factor - FGF fibroblast growth factor     

Clinical and histological changes associated with corticosteroid therapy in IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis

Abstract

Objectives This study aimed to investigate the clinicopathological changes induced by corticosteroid therapy in immunoglobulin (Ig)G4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN).

Methods We studied six IgG4-related TIN patients receiving renal biopsies before and after corticosteroid therapy. Their clinical data and histological findings were evaluated before and after therapy.

Results Elevated serum creatinine levels rapidly improved after corticosteroid therapy except for two patients, in whom it persisted. Abnormal radiological findings improved in all patients, although focal cortical atrophy persisted in three. Histologically, TIN-like dense lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, interstitial fibrosis, IgG4-positive plasma cell, CD4+CD25+ T cell, and Foxp3+ cell infiltration were characteristic before therapy. After therapy, the area with cell infiltration decreased and regional fibrosis became evident in the renal interstitium. The number of IgG4-positive plasma cells and Foxp3+ cells significantly diminished even in the early stage of therapy, whereas low to moderate numbers of CD4+ and CD8+ T cells still infiltrated where inflammation persisted in the later stage.

Conclusions Our study shows that persistent renal insufficiency associated with macroscopic atrophy and microscopic fibrosis is not so rare in IgG4-related TIN. Pathologically, the behavior of regulatory T cells during the clinical course is quite similar to that of IgG4-positive plasma cells, and the behavior pattern of those cells is distinctive.     

Prediction of Tubulointerstitial Injury in Chronic Kidney Disease Using a Non-Invasive Model: Combination of Renal Sonography and Laboratory Biomarkers

The goal of the study described here was to evaluate the degree of tubulointerstitial injury in patients with chronic kidney disease (CKD) using a more accurate model that combines renal sonographic parameters and laboratory biomarkers. A total of 308 patients were enrolled. The study protocol included conventional ultrasound, contrast-enhanced ultrasonography and renal biopsy. CKD patients were divided into normal and mild (≤25%), moderate (26%–50%) and severe (>50%) tubulointerstitial injury groups. We created a model comprising peak intensity, time to peak, urinary retinol-binding protein and β₂-microglobulin that could discriminate severe (>50%) tubulointerstitial injury. The area under the receiver operating characteristic curve of this model was 0.832, which had better accuracy than other individual indexes, and the sensitivity and specificity were 74.2% and 82.8%, respectively. Therefore, this model may be used to evaluate the severity of tubulointerstitial injury and may have the potential to serve as an effective auxiliary method to help nephrologists evaluate patients with CKD.     

乙型肝炎病毒感染与狼疮肾炎肾小管间质病变的研究

目的对狼疮肾炎（LN）肾组织进行乙型肝炎病毒抗原（HBVAg）和HBVDNA的检测，并分析其与LN肾小管间质病变之间的关系。方法应用免疫组织化学二步法检测44例LN肾组织HB-VAg、T淋巴细胞和单核，巨噬细胞；应用荧光定量聚合酶链反应（FQ-PCR）技术对其中9例行肾组织HBVDNA检测。结果LN肾组织中HBVAg阳性率为59％（26／44）。LN肾组织中HBVDNA阴性的病例可检出44％（4／9）HBVAg。HBVAg阳性组肾小管间质中浸润的CD68’细胞数目显著高于阴性组（P〈0．05）及对照组（P〈0．01）。CD8＋细胞数目显著高于对照组（P〈0．05）。结论肾活检组织HBVAg阳性的LN临床上并非少见。LN肾组织HBVAg与肾小管间质病变的发生发展可能具有一定的关系。     

积雪草颗粒对UUO大鼠肾组织CTGF、α-SMA、HGF、MCP-1表达的影响

目的:探讨积雪草对单侧输尿管梗阻(UUO)大鼠肾组织结缔组织生长因子(CTGF)、α-肌动蛋白(α-SMA)、肝细胞生长因子(HGF)、单核细胞趋化蛋白(MCP-1)-1表达的影响,为临床上应用积雪草延缓肾衰竭提供依据。方法:50只雄性SD大鼠随机分为假手术组、模型组、积雪草大剂量组、积雪草小剂量组、对照(福辛普利)组。每组10只,除假手术组外均成功建立UUO大鼠模型,术后21 d腹主动脉采血,检测肝、肾功能的变化;免疫组化检测CTGF、α-SMA、HGF、MCP-1的表达部位及含量。结果:模型组CTGF、α-SMA、MCP-1的表达高于假手术组(P<0.01),药物干预组指标低于模型组(P<0.01);药物干预组HGF含量显著高于模型组(P<0.01);其中积雪草大剂量组的表达高于小剂量组(P<0.01),但与福辛普利组相似(P>0.05)。药物干预组BUN水平下降,Scr、ALT、AST变化不明显。结论:积雪草可通过上调UUO大鼠肾组织HGF的表达,抑制UUO大鼠肾组织CTGF、α-SMA、MCP-1表达而实现其抗肾小管间质纤维化(TIF)的作用,大剂量组与福辛普利组作用相似,且没有明显的肝肾毒性。     

Normocytic normochromic anemia due to automatic neuropathy in type 2 diabetic patients without severe nephropathy: a possible role of microangiopathy

We describe here four male patients with long-term and poorly controlled type 2 diabetes mellitus. They shared many common characteristic complications, such as severe autonomic neuropathy, proliferative retinopathy and normocytic normochromic anemia without progressive renal failure and macroangiopathy. They also showed normal levels of erythropoietin and reticulocyte, which was considered relatively low. The coefficient of variation of R–R, a useful method to estimate autonomic failure, showed markedly advanced autonomic neuropathy in all four patients. Coronary angiography did not reveal stenosis, anomaly or collateral vessels, but left ventriclography showed diffuse or partial hypokinesis. Massive proteinuria, high urinary levels of N-acetyl-β-d-glucosamidase (NAG) and β₂-microglobulin (β₂M) were detected, though creatinine clearance (Ccr) was not so deteriorated. Treatment with recombinant erythropoietin increased their hemoglobin and hematocrit levels. These common points have a possibility to be brought about by tubulointerstitial damage and microangiopathy may be involved in it.     

尿NGAL在IgA肾病肾小管间质损伤评估中的意义探讨

目的 探讨尿中性粒细胞明胶酶相关脂质运载蛋白(NGAL)在IgA肾病(IgAN)患者肾小管间质损伤(TIL)评估中的意义.方法 应用酶联免疫法(ELISA)检测110例IgAN患者,30例非IgAN肾小球疾病患者以及30例健康对照者的尿NGAL水平.结果 IgAN组、非IgAN疾病对照组较健康对照组尿NGAL水平均明显升高(P＜0.01);IgAN组尿NGAL水平与多项临床病理指标明显相关;影响尿NGAL水平的独立影响因素有血白蛋白水平,尿蛋白定量、尿NAG酶、尿渗透压,以及球性硬化、间质炎细胞浸润、间质纤维化、肾小管萎缩;以尿NGAL水平超过正常对照组2个标准差视为显著增高,联合NAG酶对有无TIL进行评估,ROC曲线下面积为0.850,明显优于血肌酐的0.675,灵敏度83.3％,特异度73.3％,准确率81.2％.结论 IgAN患者尿NGAL水平可以反映IgAN病情程度,在联合尿NGAL与尿NAG酶判别有无TIL时明显优于血肌酐及单纯的尿NGAL、尿NAG酶、尿渗透压等指标.