title: [Clinical significance of urine sediment spectrum analyses in crescentic glomerulonephritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore whether the analyses of urine sediment spectrum contribute to the diagnosis of crescentic nephritis and whether special cells in urine could be a biomarker for the early stage crescentic nephritis.
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-five patients diagnosed as crescentic nephritis with renal biopsy were recruited. The phase-contrast microscope was used to observe the early morning urine and offer comprehensive descriptions of urine sediment spectrum. And podocalyxin antibody was utilized to detect podocytes in urine and renal specimens by immunohistochemistry.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Marked hematuria and casts were present in the urine of crescentic nephritis and "special cells" appeared in over 50% subjects. The detection rates of "special cells" were 75%, 41% and 0 respectively in early, middle and later stages of crescentic nephritis. Podocytes were identified in the urine of 8/9 subjects.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The urine sediment spectrum contributes to the diagnosis of crescentic nephritis. And special cells in urine are helpful to gauge the stage of crescentic nephritis.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Peking University First Hospital, Beijing 100034, China. ngzibjmu@126.com
authors.forename: Jing-zi
authors.initials: JZ
authors.lastname: Li
authors.forename: Yu-qing
authors.initials: YQ
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.forename: Su-xia
authors.initials: SX
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.forename: Wei
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Pang
authors.forename: E
authors.initials: E
authors.lastname: Jie
authors.forename: Ying
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Xiao-qi
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Qin
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001706:Biopsy; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D006417:Hematuria / Q000473:pathology / Q000652:urine*; D006801:Humans; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D016482:Urinalysis