title: [Relationship between renal Th1/Th2 ratio and renal microvascular injury in children with Henoch-Sch-nlein purpura nephritis].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To explore possible correlations between renal Th1/Th2 ratio and renal microvascular injury in children with Henoch-Sch-nlein purpura nephritis (HSPN).
  
  
  METHODS
  Thirty-two children with HSPN were enrolled. They were classified into four groups by renal pathology: HSPN class II (n=8), HSPN class IIIa (n=7), HSPN class IIIb (n=10) and HSPN class IV/V (n=7). Five patients undergoing nephrectomy due to trauma were used as the controls. INFγ, IL-4 and CD34 in the renal tissues were measured by immunohistochemical analysis. INFγ was used as a marker of Th1, IL-4 was used as a marker of Th2 and CD34 was used as a marker of microvessel. The renal microvessel density was evaluated according to the Weidner standard. The relationships among the local Th1/Th2 ratio, renal pathological grade, microvessel score and microvessel density were studied.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Immunohistochemical analysis showed a lower expression of INFγ and a higher expression of IL-4 in the HSPN groups than in the control group. The local Th1/Th2 ratio in the HSPN groups decreased and correlated significantly with the renal pathological grade. There were significant differences among four HSPN subgroups (P<0.05). Compared with the control group, the renal microvessel density in the HSPN class II and class IIIa groups increased significantly (P<0.05), but it decreased in the HSPN class IV/V group (P<0.05). The renal microvessel scores in the HSPN class IIIa, class IIIb and class IV/V groups increased significantly compared with those in the control and the HSPN classⅡ. The increased renal microvessel scores were associated with more severe renal pathological changes. A negative correlation was found between the local Th1/Th2 ratio and the microvessel density in kidneys (r=-0.921, P<0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The decrease of Th1/Th2 ratio in kidneys might be responsible for renal microvascular injury in children with HSPN.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha 410011, China. happydang@tom.com
authors.forename: Dan-Lin
authors.initials: DL
authors.lastname: Huang
authors.forename: Zi-Chuan
authors.initials: ZC
authors.lastname: Xu
authors.forename: Xi-Qiang
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Dang
authors.forename: Xue-Qi
authors.initials: XQ
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xiao-Jie
authors.initials: XJ
authors.lastname: He
authors.forename: Zhu-Wen
authors.initials: ZW
authors.lastname: Yi
authors.forename: Qing-Nan
authors.initials: QN
authors.lastname: He
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D011695:IgA Vasculitis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000098:blood supply* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D055806:Microvessels / Q000473:pathology; D009393:Nephritis / Q000276:immunology* / Q000473:pathology; D018417:Th1 Cells / Q000276:immunology*; D018418:Th2 Cells / Q000276:immunology*