Gene expression of prothrombin in the human kidney and its potential relevance to kidney stone disease.
OBJECTIVE
To determine whether urinary prothrombin fragment 1 (UPTF1), which shows considerable promise as a critical determinant of calcium oxalate (CaOx) stone formation, is manufactured by the human kidney.


METHODS
Ribonucleic acid was isolated from eight kidneys, two spleens and one liver. Using reverse transcriptase-polymerase chain reaction, mRNA corresponding to the UPTF1 portion of prothrombin was analysed by agarose-gel electrophoresis and Southern blotting.


RESULTS
Six kidney specimens showed clear evidence of prothrombin gene expression; expression in the kidney was less than that in the liver.


CONCLUSIONS
This is the first demonstration of prothrombin gene expression within the human kidney, a finding that not only has implications for CaOx stone disease but also potentially for blood coagulation.
Stapleton
A M
AM
Division of Surgery, Repatriation General Hospital, Adelaide, SA, Australia.
Timme
T L
TL
Ryall
R L
RL
D015415:Biomarkers; D015139:Blotting, Southern; D002129:Calcium Oxalate / Q000378:metabolism; D015870:Gene Expression; D006801:Humans; D007669:Kidney Calculi / Q000378:metabolism*; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D011498:Protein Precursors / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D011516:Prothrombin / Q000235:genetics / Q000378:metabolism*; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000378:metabolism
D015415:Biomarkers; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D011498:Protein Precursors; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D002129:Calcium Oxalate; C029733:prothrombin fragment 1; D011516:Prothrombin