title: Aberrant differentiation of urothelial cells in patients with ureteropelvic junction obstruction.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To investigate the urothelial changes in the pathogenesis of ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJ-O).
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 12 patients of UPJ-O were respectively studied. The expression of Annexin A7, Annexin A11, EGFR, Keratin 5, uroplakin III, and SMA in the urothelium of obstructed UPJ segment and of the normal ureter below the obstructed segment were determined by immunofluorescence. Transmission electron microscopy was used to determine the morphological changes in UPJ epithelium in compared to normal ureteral epithelium.
  
  
  RESULTS
  We found that Annexin A7, Annexin A11, EGFR, Keratin 5, and SMA were upregulated, while uroplakin III was downregulated in the urothelium of UPJ-O patients. Furthermore, ultrastructural analyses showed that intercellular spaces between urothelial cells were dilated and the number of microvilli on superficial cells was increased in UPJ-O patients.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  We propose that a disrupted urothelial barrier in UPJ-O may results in urothelial inflammatory response and truncated differentiated urothelial cells, which may play an important role in the development and pathogenesis of UPJO.
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China ; State Key Laboratory of Oncology in South China, Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center, Collaborative Innovation Center for Cancer Medicine Guangzhou, GD 510060, China.
authors.forename: Teng
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Hou
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Xiong
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Yang
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Bo
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Hai
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Bing
authors.initials: B
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Wencheng
authors.initials: W
authors.lastname: Li
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Feng
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Pan
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Min
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Chen
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Fuqing
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Zeng
authors.affiliation: Department of Urology, Union Hospital, Tongji Medical College of Huazhong University of Science and Technology Wuhan 430022, China.
authors.forename: Xiaomin
authors.initials: X
authors.lastname: Han
mesh_terms: D000199:Actins / Q000032:analysis; D017302:Annexins / Q000032:analysis; D002454:Cell Differentiation; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D066246:ErbB Receptors / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D053555:Keratin-5 / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D046529:Microscopy, Electron, Transmission; D014513:Ureter / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*; D014517:Ureteral Obstruction / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology*; D060171:Uroplakin III / Q000032:analysis; D019459:Urothelium / Q000737:chemistry / Q000648:ultrastructure*
chemical_list: C541116:ACTA2 protein, human; D000199:Actins; D017302:Annexins; C503940:KRT5 protein, human; D053555:Keratin-5; D060171:Uroplakin III; C512478:EGFR protein, human; D066246:ErbB Receptors
keywords: Differentiation; UPJO; proliferation; urothelial cells