title: Visualization of podocyte substructure with structured illumination microscopy (SIM): a new approach to nephrotic disease.
abstract: A detailed microscopic analysis of renal podocyte substructure is essential to understand and diagnose nephrotic kidney disease. Currently only time consuming electron microscopy (EM) can resolve this substructure. We used structured illumination microscopy (SIM) to examine frozen sections of renal biopsies stained with an immunofluorescence marker for podocin, a protein localized to the perimeter of the podocyte foot processes and compared them with EM in both normal and nephrotic disease biopsies. SIM images of normal glomeruli revealed curvilinear patterns of podocin densely covering capillary walls similar to podocyte foot processes seen by EM. Podocin staining of all nephrotic disease biopsies were significantly different than normal, corresponding to and better visualizing effaced foot processes seen by EM. The findings support the first potential use of SIM in the diagnosis of nephrotic disease.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: James M
authors.initials: JM
authors.lastname: Pullman
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9FT, UK; SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK.
authors.forename: Jonathan
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Nylk
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9FT, UK.
authors.forename: Elaine C
authors.initials: EC
authors.lastname: Campbell
authors.affiliation: School of Biology, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9FT, UK.
authors.forename: Frank J
authors.initials: FJ
authors.lastname: Gunn-Moore
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Montefiore Medical Center and Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
authors.forename: Michael B
authors.initials: MB
authors.lastname: Prystowsky
authors.affiliation: SUPA, School of Physics and Astronomy, University of St Andrews, St Andrews, KY16 9SS, UK.
authors.forename: Kishan
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Dholakia
keywords: (100.6640) Superresolution; (170.0170) Medical optics and biotechnology; (170.3880) Medical and biological imaging; (170.4580) Optical diagnostics for medicine; (170.4730) Optical pathology; (180.0180) Microscopy; (180.2520) Fluorescence microscopy