title: Mitochondrial DNA mutations in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis lesions.
abstract: Glomerular epithelial cells are primary pathogenic sites in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FGS) lesions. Glomerular epithelial cells are regarded as terminally differentiated cells that do not proliferate. These characteristics are also noted for neurons and muscular cells, which are major sites of mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) mutation accumulation. Screening for mtDNA mutations was performed with renal biopsy specimens from patients with primary FGS and patients with IgA nephropathy (as subjects with secondary FGS and as control subjects). mtDNA extracted from kidney biopsy specimens was amplified with appropriate primer pairs for study of the mtDNA point mutations 3243A-->G, 3271T-->C, 8344A-->G, and 8993T-->G/C, as well as the common deletion (a 4977-bp deletion spanning mtDNA nucleotide pairs 8469 to 13447). In situ amplification of both total mtDNA and the common deletion was also performed. Two patients with FGS demonstrated the 3243A-->G point mutation; 12 patients with FGS and seven patients with IgA nephropathy accompanied by glomerulosclerotic lesions exhibited the common deletion in their kidney tissue. No patient demonstrated the mtDNA mutations 3271T-->C, 8344A-->G, or 8993T-->G/C. The degree of heteroplasmy for the 3243A-->G point mutation was >85%; however, the heteroplasmy for the common deletion was <1%. As determined with in situ PCR, normal mtDNA was mainly distributed in the tubular epithelium and mtDNA with the common deletion was mainly distributed among glomerular epithelial cells. In conclusion, it is suggested that mtDNA mutations are distributed in glomerular epithelial cells among some patients with primary FGS or secondary FGS with IgA nephropathy. These mutations may be related to glomerular epithelial cell damage.
authors.affiliation: Division of Nephrology, Institute of Clinical Medicine, University of Tsukuba, 1-1-1 Ten-oudai, Tsukuba 305-8575, Japan. k-yamaga@md.tsukuba.ac.jp
authors.forename: Kunihiro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Yamagata
authors.forename: Kaori
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Muro
authors.forename: Jouichi
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Usui
authors.forename: Masahiro
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Hagiwara
authors.forename: Hirayasu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kai
authors.forename: Yoh
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Arakawa
authors.forename: Yoshio
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.forename: Chie
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Tomida
authors.forename: Kouichi
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Hirayama
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: Akio
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Koyama
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002648:Child; D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial / Q000235:genetics*; D005260:Female; D017353:Gene Deletion; D005820:Genetic Testing; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000235:genetics* / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008875:Middle Aged; D017354:Point Mutation; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction
chemical_list: D004272:DNA, Mitochondrial