title: Ultrastructural study of electron dense deposits in renal tubular basement membrane: prevalence and relationship to epithelial atrophy.
abstract: This study reports the prevalence of immune deposits associated with the proximal and distal tubules in a series of routine renal biopsies received in our department during a single calendar year. From 87 cases, 65 (74%) were found to have glomerular immune deposits by immunofluorescence. Tubular immune deposits were found in 12 cases (18%), 3 of which had no glomerular deposits. By transmission electron microscopy (EM), 58 cases (66%) were found to have deposits of granular or vesicular material associated with the tubular basement membranes (TBM). Finely granular electron dense deposits appeared to correspond to the immune deposits seen by immunofluorescence microscopy (IF) and may be a sensitive marker of immune deposition.
authors.affiliation: Department of Anatomical Pathology, Sydney South West Pathology Service (SSWPS) Liverpool , Australia .
authors.forename: Jim L C
authors.initials: JL
authors.lastname: Yong
authors.forename: Murray C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Killingsworth
mesh_terms: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D001284:Atrophy / Q000473:pathology; D001485:Basement Membrane / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D004848:Epithelium / Q000648:ultrastructure; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007105:Immune Complex Diseases / Q000453:epidemiology; D002479:Inclusion Bodies / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D007684:Kidney Tubules / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D015995:Prevalence
chemical_list: D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex
keywords: Immune deposit; renal biopsy; renal tubule; transmission electron microscopy