Apoptosis of renal tubular cells in congenital hydronephrosis

Objective To assess apoptosis in congenital hydronephrosis and discuss its clinical signif icance.Methods Apoptosis was detected in 15 kidneys from children with congenital hydronephrosi s (5 mild hydronephrosis, 5 moderate hydronephrosis and 5 severe hydronephrosis) using the electronmicroscope, in situ gap labeling of fragmented nuclear DNA an d DNA fragmentation analysis.Results Apoptosis was seen in kidneys from children with congenital hydronephrosis. Margination of nuclear chromatin was identified and rounded apoptotic bodies were seen.The mean apoptotic index was 0.0941±0.017 in severe hydronephrosis, 0 .0325±0.0169 in moderate hydronephrosis, and 0.0021±0.0031 in mild hydrone phrosis.There was a significant difference between severe and moderate hydrone phrosis (P=0.0005), as well as between moderate and mild hydronephrosis ( P=0.0154).Moreover, with an increasing degree of hydronephrosis, the number of apoptotic cells also increased.Five kidneys with severe hydronephrosis and one kidney with moderate hydronephrosis showed typical apoptotic bands.Conclusion Apoptosis might participate in damaging kidneys in children with congenital hydr onephrosis.