title: [The expression and significance of nephrin in hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy].
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To observe the expression of nephrin in hepatitis B virus-associated membranous nephropathy (HBV-MN), and investigate the impairment and significance of podocyte in HBV-MN.
  
  
  METHODS
  The protein expression of nephrin in renal biopsy specimens in 35 patients, who were diagnosed as HBV-MN by renal biopsy, was determined by immunohistochemistry and tested by semi-quantitative method. The relationship between the expression of nephrin and clinicopathological data was analyzed.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 35 cases with HBV-MN, 6 were in MN phase I, 20 in MN phase II and 9 in MN phase III. A strong intensity expression of nephrin in normal glomerulus was found along capillary loop of glomerulus, while its expression in HBV-MN patients decreased obviously. There was no significantly difference in the expression of nephrin among the different stages of HBV-MN (P > 0.05). The expression of nephrin in different clinical types was significantly different(P < 0.05). The expression of nephrin in patients with nephrotic syndrome was significantly lower than that in patients without nephrotic syndrome (P < 0.01). The expression of nephrin in different grades of 24-hour urinary protein excretion quantity was significantly different(P < 0.05). There was negative correlation between the expression of nephrin and 24-hour urinary protein excretion quantity(r = -0.378, P < 0.05). In the patients with HBV-MN phase II, the expression of nephrin in patients with nephrotic syndrome was also significantly lower than that in patients without nephrotic syndrome (P < 0.01).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The damage of podocytes emerge in the early stage of HBV-MN and the expression of nephrin in HBV-MN patients, especially in patients with nephrotic syndrome, are significantly down regulated. The descended expression of nephrin in HBV-MN patients may promote the production of proteinuria.
authors.affiliation: Department of Nephrology, Fujian Medical University Clinical Hospital, Fuzhou, China. zhuangyongze@126.com
authors.forename: Yong-ze
authors.initials: YZ
authors.lastname: Zhuang
authors.forename: Li-fang
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Wei
authors.forename: Ying-hao
authors.initials: YH
authors.lastname: Yu
authors.forename: Ling
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.forename: Xi-sheng
authors.initials: XS
authors.lastname: Xiong
authors.forename: Zai-zeng
authors.initials: ZZ
authors.lastname: Wu
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000378:metabolism* / Q000473:pathology* / Q000821:virology; D006515:Hepatitis B virus; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008565:Membrane Proteins / Q000378:metabolism*; D008875:Middle Aged; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D008565:Membrane Proteins; C113267:nephrin