[Role of mast cells in the development of renal interstitial fibrosis in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis].
OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of mast cells in the development of renal interstitial fibrosis in children with Henoch-Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) and possible mechanisms.


METHODS
Paraffin-embedded renal biopsy tissue sections from 20 children with HSPN were examined for the levels of tryptase-beta and transforming growth factor-beta1 (TGF-beta1) by immunohistochemical staining. Mast cells were counted by toluidine blue staining. Masson staining was used to assess the level of renal interstitial fibrosis and renal histopathological scores. Normal renal tissue sections from 5 nephrectomized children for nephroma were used as control group.


RESULTS
The percentages of positive tryptase-beta cellsand mast cells and the TGF-beta1 expression in the HSPN group were significantly higher than those in the control group (P < 0.05). The percentages of positive tryptase-beta cells and mast cells and the TGF-beta1 expression in renal tissue were positively correlated with the glomeruli histopathological score (r =0.940, 0.920, 0.937, respectively; P < 0.05) and were also positively correlated with the histopathological score of renal interstitium (r=0.903, 0.859, 0.948, respectively; P < 0.05). The level of renal interstitial fibrosis was positively correlated with the percentages of positive tryptase-beta cells and mast cells and the expression of TGF-beta1 (r =0.790, 0.766, 0.858, respectively; P < 0.05). There was a positive correlation between the percentages of positive tryptase-beta cells and mast cells (r =0.941, P < 0.05), between the percentage of positive tryptase-beta cells and the TGF-beta1 expression (r =0.897, P < 0.05) and between the percentage of positive mast cells and the TGF-beta1 expression (r=0.942, P < 0.05).


CONCLUSIONS
Tubulointerstitial mast cell infiltration is associated with the development of renal interstitial fibrosis in children with HSPN. Mast cells together with TGF-beta1 and mast cell-derived tryptase-beta may be involved in the development of the renal interstitial fibrosis in HSPN.
Zhang
Gao-Ping
GP
Department of Respiratory, Children's Hospital of Jiangxi Province, Nanchang, China. zhanggaoping10@163.com
Dang
Xi-Qiang
XQ
Yi
Zhu-Wen
ZW
He
Xiao-Jie
XJ
Zhang
Jian-Jiang
JJ
Wu
Xiao-Chuan
XC
Mo
Shuang-Hong
SH
D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D007668:Kidney / Q000737:chemistry / Q000473:pathology*; D008297:Male; D008407:Mast Cells / Q000502:physiology*; D009393:Nephritis / Q000473:pathology*; D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1 / Q000032:analysis; D053802:Tryptases / Q000032:analysis
D053773:Transforming Growth Factor beta1; D053802:Tryptases