title: Human nephron number: implications for health and disease.
abstract: Several studies have shown that total nephron (glomerular) number varies widely in normal human kidneys. Whereas the studies agree that average nephron number is approximately 900,000 to 1 million per kidney, numbers for individual kidneys range from approximately 200,000 to >2.5 million. Several studies have shown loss of glomeruli due to age-related glomerulosclerosis. The rates of loss vary among individuals depending upon blood pressure, diseases affecting the kidney, and other attributes of health, but most of the variation in nephron number is present at birth and is therefore developmentally determined. For example, in a relatively small study of nephron number in 15 children <3 months of age, we found that nephron number ranged from approximately 250,000 to 1.1 million. Given that no new nephrons are formed in human kidneys after approximately 36 weeks' gestation, much interest has focused on renal function and health in individuals born with relatively low nephron endowment. Several studies have reported a direct correlation between birth weight and nephron number and an indirect association between nephron number and blood pressure. Associations between low birth weight and cardiovascular disease, including hypertension, have also been widely reported. This report provides an update on our current knowledge of human nephron number and the associations with adult health and disease.
authors: Department of Anatomy and Developmental Biology, Monash University Clayton, Melbourne, Victoria, 3800, Australia. john.bertram@monash.edu
authors: John F
authors: JF
authors: Bertram
authors: Rebecca N
authors: RN
authors: Douglas-Denton
authors: Boucar
authors: B
authors: Diouf
authors: Michael D
authors: MD
authors: Hughson
authors: Wendy E
authors: WE
authors: Hoy
references: Am J Kidney Dis. 2008 Jan;51(1):10-20
references: 18155528
references: Kidney Int. 2000 Aug;58(2):770-3
references: 10916101
references: Int Rev Cytol. 1995;161:111-72
references: 7558690
references: Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2009 May;24(5):1500-6
references: 19028752
references: Am J Hypertens. 1988 Oct;1(4 Pt 1):335-47
references: 3063284
references: Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2011 Jul;26(7):2202-8
references: 21115671
references: Cell Tissue Res. 1992 Oct;270(1):37-45
references: 1423523
references: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Oct;19(10):2027-34
references: 18820179
references: Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2008 Aug;23(8):2576-85
references: 18308771
references: N Engl J Med. 2003 Jan 9;348(2):101-8
references: 12519920
references: Clin Nephrol. 2010 Nov;74 Suppl 1:S105-12
references: 20979974
references: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2005 Sep;16(9):2762-8
references: 15987756
references: Am J Kidney Dis. 2009 Aug;54(2):248-61
references: 19339091
references: Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2011 Jan;20(1):7-15
references: 21099687
references: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2005 Sep;16(9):2557-64
references: 16049069
references: Lab Invest. 1999 May;79(5):515-27
references: 10334563
references: Kidney Int. 1999 Sep;56(3):1072-7
references: 10469376
references: Kidney Int. 2006 Feb;69(4):671-8
references: 16395270
references: Kidney Int. 2006 Jul;70(1):104-10
references: 16723986
references: Adv Anat Embryol Cell Biol. 2008;196:1-78
references: 18637522
references: Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2009 Aug;24(8):2428-33
references: 19297355
references: Am J Kidney Dis. 2008 Jul;52(1):18-28
references: 18514988
references: Curr Opin Nephrol Hypertens. 2008 May;17(3):258-65
references: 18408476
references: Arch Intern Med. 2000 May 22;160(10):1472-6
references: 10826460
references: J Am Soc Nephrol. 2008 Jan;19(1):151-7
references: 18057216
references: Nephrol Dial Transplant. 2010 May;25(5):1514-20
references: 20154008
references: J Am Soc Nephrol. 1999 May;10(5):1100-23
references: 10232698
references: Ethn Dis. 2006 Spring;16(2 Suppl 2):S2-40-5
references: 16774009
references: Anat Rec. 1992 Feb;232(2):194-201
references: 1546799
references: Kidney Int. 2003 Jun;63(6):2113-22
references: 12753298
references: Clin J Am Soc Nephrol. 2009 Jan;4(1):71-6
references: 19019999
references: J Dev Orig Health Dis. 2010 Aug;1(4):216-33
references: 25141870
references: Kidney Int Suppl. 2003 Feb;(83):S31-7
references: 12864872