[The clinic significance of urinary podocytes in patients with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis].
OBJECTIVE
To address the significance of urinary podocytes in the diagnosis of human focal segmental glomerulosclerosis(FSGS).


METHODS
Twelve patients with FSGS and 20 patients with minimal change disease (MCD) were diagnosed by routine renal biopsy, and 8 healthy persons as controls. Morning urinary sediments was collected and centrifuged onto glass slides. Urinary podocytes were identified by immunofluorescent staining of podocyte specific protein Podocalyxin(PCX). The state of podocytes in glomeruli was observed using immunofluorescence.


RESULTS
Urinary podocytes were found in 8 out of 12 FSGS patients(66.67%), whereas none of 20 patients with MCD and control had podocytes in their urine. FSGS patients with positives urinary podocytes had prominent manifestation of nephropathy syndrome, whereas no nephrotic syndrome in patients with negative urinary podocytes. Focal absence of the expression of PCX, a marker protein of podocytes in glomeruli was found in FSGS patients, and the locations of absence were consistent with the lesions of focal sclerosis in glomeruli. In contrast, PCX was expressed integrally in MCD patients.


CONCLUSIONS
Appearances of podocytes in urine of patients with nephropathy may be used as one of the reliable, convenient and unharmful accessorial methods for distinguished diagnosis of FSGS and MCD.
Li
Yue-hong
YH
Department of Nephrology, Peking University First Hospital   Peking University Institute of Nephrology, Beijing 100034, China.
Huang
Hai-chang
HC
Liu
Gang
G
Zhang
You-kang
YK
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000818:Animals; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D005923:Glomerulosclerosis, Focal Segmental / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000166:cytology*; D051379:Mice; D008875:Middle Aged; D009402:Nephrosis, Lipoid / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis; D012709:Serum Albumin / Q000032:analysis
D012709:Serum Albumin