Loss of anionic sites from the glomerular basement membrane in human glomerulonephritides.
Changes in glomerular anionic sites were analyzed in 31 patients with various types of glomerulonephritis using the high-iron diamine-thiocarbohydrazide-silver proteinate method. On the basis of the degree of proteinuria at the time of biopsy, the patients were divided into 3 groups as follows: Group 1, less than 10 mg/kg/24 h; Group 2, 10-50 mg/kg/24 h; Group 3, more than 50 mg/kg/24 h. The number of glomerular anionic sites per 300 nm length of the lamina rare externa was 16.20 +/- 3.37 in Group 1, 12.19 +/- 3.42 in Group 2 and 9.97 +/- 2.51 in Group 3. Moreover, smaller and irregularly distributed anionic sites, and a greater loss of anionic sites in the paramesangial region were observed in Groups 2 and 3. On the other hand, there was no significant correlation between the mesangial sclerosis index and the number of anionic sites (r = -0.40) in patients with IgA nephropathy (9 cases) and nephritis of Henoch-Schönlein purpura (6 cases). These results suggest that the proteinuria seen in various types of glomerulonephritis is related to the loss of glomerular anionic sites, i.e., dysfunction of the charge-selective barrier.
Washizawa
K
K
Department of Pediatrics, Shinshu University School of Medicine, Matsumoto, Japan.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000838:Anions; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000473:pathology; D001665:Binding Sites / Q000502:physiology; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D013048:Specimen Handling
D000838:Anions