Urokinase, urokinase receptor, and plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 expression on podocytes in immunoglobulin A glomerulonephritis

• Published in: The Korean journal of internal medicine Vol. 29; no. 2; pp. 176 - 182
• Main Authors: Lee, Ji-Hye, Oh, Mee-Hye, Park, Jae-Seok, Gil, Hye-Wook, Yang, Jong-Oh, Lee, Eun-Young, Hong, Sae-Yong
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Korea (South) The Korean Association of Internal Medicine 01.03.2014; 대한내과학회
• Subjects: Adolescent; Adult; Aged; Atrophy; Biomarkers - analysis; Biopsy; Female; Fibrosis; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - diagnosis; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - enzymology; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - immunology; Humans; Immunohistochemistry; Male; Middle Aged; Original; Plasminogen Activator Inhibitor 1 - analysis; Podocytes - enzymology; Podocytes - immunology; Podocytes - pathology; Receptors, Urokinase Plasminogen Activator - analysis; Urokinase-Type Plasminogen Activator - analysis; Young Adult; 내과학; Plasminogen activator inhibitor 1; Urokinase-type plasminogen activator; Glomerulonephritis, IGA; Receptors, urokinase plasminogen activator
• ISSN: 1226-3303; 2005-6648; 2005-6648
• DOI: 10.3904/kjim.2014.29.2.176

The purpose of this study was to investigate the expression of urokinase-type plasminogen activator (uPA), uPA receptor (uPAR), and plasminogen activator inhibitor (PAI)-1 on podocytes in immunoglobulin A (IgA) glomerulonephritis (GN). Renal biopsy specimens from 52 IgA GN patients were deparaffinized and subjected to immunohistochemical staining for uPA, PAI-1, and uPAR. The biopsies were classified into three groups according to the expression of uPA and uPAR on podocytes: uPA, uPAR, and a negative group. The prevalences of the variables of the Oxford classification for IgA GN were compared among the groups. On podocytes, uPA was positive in 11 cases and uPAR was positive in 38 cases; by contrast, PAI-1 was negative in all cases. Expression of both uPA and uPAR on podocytes was less frequently accompanied by tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Our results suggest a possible protective effect of podocyte uPA/uPAR expression against interstitial fibrosis.