C4d deposition in the glomeruli and peritubular capillaries associated with transplant glomerulopathy.
Transplant glomerulopathy (TGP) is a unique disease entity with characteristic pathological findings. Although ultrastructural studies for TGP have been performed, histogenesis of TGP is not fully understood. The present study was designed to investigate the relation of complement fragment C4d to the histogenesis of TGP. Nine cases of isolated TGP were randomly selected. A commercially available monoclonal antibody against complement fragment C4d was used in allograft biopsies. To evaluate the extent and severity of deposition of the C4d complement in the glomerular and peritubular capillaries, indirect immunofluoresce method was performed on frozen sections. Intense deposition of C4d in the glomerular basement membrane and peritubular capillaries was found in association with morphological appearance of TGP. Peritubular capillaries were affected in all the patients, showing splitting and multilayering of peritubular capillary basement membrane. These changes, which diffusely affect most capillaries, and their severity pattern were quite similar in each patient. In early stages of all patients with cellular rejection, C4d was not detected in the glomerular and peritubular capillaries. In addition, no C4d deposition was detected in all zero-hour biopsies without diagnostic abnormality. These findings suggest that C4d deposition in the glomerular and peritubular capillaries might be associated with the pathogenesis of TGP in renal transplantation.
Horita
S
S
Departments of Medicine and Urology, Tokyo Women's Medical University, Tokyo, Japan. nitta@kc.twmu.ac.jp
Nitta
K
K
Kawashima
M
M
Honda
K
K
Onitsuka
S
S
Tokumoto
T
T
Tanabe
K
K
Toma
H
H
Nihei
H
H
Yamaguchi
Y
Y
D000328:Adult; D003181:Complement C4 / Q000276:immunology*; D015935:Complement C4b; D005260:Female; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D006084:Graft Rejection / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology*; D016030:Kidney Transplantation / Q000473:pathology*; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D010446:Peptide Fragments / Q000276:immunology*
D003181:Complement C4; D010446:Peptide Fragments; D015935:Complement C4b; C032261:complement C4d