title: Urinary podocyte can be an indicator for the pathogenetic condition of patients with IgA nephropathy.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  To evaluate the clinical significance of the urinary podocytes in patients with IgA nephropathy.
  
  
  METHODS
  Urine samples from 102 biopsy-confirmed IgA nephropathy patients were collected to detect urinary podocytes using an indirect immunofluorescence staining method with anti-human Podocalyxin (PCX) antibody. Then, correlation analysis was performed between the urinary podocyte counts and the clinicopathological changes.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Upon comparison with IgA nephropathy patients with negative urinary podocytes, IgA nephropathy patients with positive urinary podocytes presented a significant reduction in plasma albumin and glomerular filtration rate and remarkable rise in urinary protein excretion, blood cholesterol, and mean arterial pressure. Pathologically, the renal tissues of IgA nephropathy patients with positive urinary podocytes presented less podocytes in the glomerulus (6.03 ± 3.61 cells/glomerulus vs. 12.58 ± 7.23 cells/glomerulus, p < 0.001), more mesangial matrix, and more aggravated interstitial fibrosis and foot process fusion than in IgA nephropathy patients with negative urinary podocytes. In addition, the urinary podocyte counts were positively correlated with serum creatinine and 24-hour urinary protein excretion (r = 0.332, p < 0.05 and r = 0.387, p < 0.05, respectively) and negatively correlated with the number of podocytes in the renal tissues (r = -0.416, p 0 < 0.05).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Detection of urinary podocytes can be a noninvasive indicator for reflecting the severity of IgA nephropathy.
authors: Peicheng
authors: P
authors: Shen
authors: Jiaojiao
authors: J
authors: Shen
authors: Wenwen
authors: W
authors: Li
authors: Liqun
authors: L
authors: He
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D062186:Arterial Pressure; D015415:Biomarkers / Q000097:blood / Q000652:urine; D001706:Biopsy; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D019084:Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000652:urine; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D050199:Podocytes / Q000473:pathology*; D011237:Predictive Value of Tests; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000652:urine; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D014556:Urine / Q000166:cytology*; D055815:Young Adult
chemical_list: D015415:Biomarkers