Quantitative analysis of the interstitial myofibroblasts in idiopathic mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis type I.
Fourteen renal biopsy specimens from patients with mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis type I (MCGN-I), for whom both light and electron microscopies as well as immunofluorescence microscopy and full clinical data were available, were examined quantitatively. As a control, 10 biopsy specimens of the kidney from patients with minimal change disease (MCD) were used. Morphometric investigations were performed by a computer image analysis system to investigate whether myofibroblasts have a role in tubulointerstitial fibrosis in MCGN-I and, in particular, to examine the relationship between alpha-SMA expression and interstitial infiltrates. The morphometric study revealed that in MCGN-I patients the mean values for the expression of alpha-SMA, interstitial volume, CD68+, CD45RB+, CD43+ and CD20+ cells were significantly increased, as compared with a control group. In the MCGN-I group, there were significant positive correlations between the interstitial expression of alpha-SMA and the interstitial volume as well as CD68+ and CD45RB+ cells. The correlations between the interstitial expression of alpha-SMA and CD43+ as well as CD20+ cells were positive, but without statistical significance. In conclusion, our study suggests that interstitial a-SMA positive cells play a role in the development of interstitial fibrosis in MCGN-I. The significant correlation between the interstitial expression of alpha-SMA and interstitial CD68+ cells may identify monocytes/macrophages as important mediators in the process of inducing the myofibroblast phenotype in resting fibroblasts.
Danilewicz
M
M
Department of Pathology (Morphometry Division), Medical University of Lódź, Poland.
Antoszczyk
L
L
Wagrowska-Danilewicz
M
M
D000199:Actins / Q000096:biosynthesis; D000328:Adult; D015703:Antigens, CD / Q000096:biosynthesis; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005347:Fibroblasts / Q000166:cytology* / Q000378:metabolism; D005355:Fibrosis; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D007091:Image Processing, Computer-Assisted; D007150:Immunohistochemistry; D007668:Kidney / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male
D000199:Actins; D015703:Antigens, CD