Involvement of apoptosis in patients with diabetic nephropathy: A study on plasma soluble Fas levels and pathological findings.
OBJECTIVE
We investigated the relationship between levels of plasma soluble Fas (sFas) and stages of diabetic nephropathy, with special reference to apoptosis and clinical features of diabetic nephropathy in 168 patients with diabetic nephropathy.


RESULTS
There was a positive correlation between plasma sFas and creatinine levels, between sFas levels and urinary protein levels, and between sFas levels and urinary albumin. There was a negative correlation between plasma sFas levels and creatinine clearance. Plasma sFas levels in the early stage (stages 1, 2, 3A) and advanced stage (stages 3B and 4) were 2.6 +/- 0.1 and 5.4 +/- 0.5 ng/mL, respectively. Plasma sFas level of the advanced stage was significantly higher than that of the early stage. The number of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) positive cells was significantly lower in the advanced stage than in the early stage. The number of in situ nick-end labelling (TUNEL) positive cells was also significantly lower in the advanced stage than in the early stage, suggesting the suppression of apoptosis.


CONCLUSIONS
These data suggest that apoptosis is involved in the advancement of diabetic nephropathy, and that plasma sFas level might be a predicting factor for prognosis.
Baba
Kaori
K
Second Department of Internal Medicine, Gifu University School of Medicine, Gifu, Japan.
Minatoguchi
Shinya
S
Sano
Hirotake
H
Kagawa
Tomoyo
T
Murata
Ichijiro
I
Takemura
Genzou
G
Hirano
Takahiro
T
Ohashi
Hiroshige
H
Takemura
Masao
M
Fujiwara
Takako
T
Fujiwara
Hisayoshi
H
D000419:Albuminuria / Q000097:blood; D017209:Apoptosis; D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D019014:fas Receptor / Q000097:blood*
D019014:fas Receptor; D003404:Creatinine