Valor de los niveles urinarios de interleucina 6, factor de crecimiento epidérmico, proteína quimioatractante de monocitos de tipo 1 y factor de crecimiento transformante Beta1 para la predicción de la extensión de las lesiones de fibrosis en biopsias de enfermos con nefropatía IgA / Value of urinary levels of interleukin-6, epidermal growth factor, monocyte chemoattractant protein type1 and transforming growth factor Beta1 in predicting the extent of fibrosis lesions in kidney biopsies of patients with IgA nephropathy

Objetivo: Analizar las asociaciones entre el nivel urinario de IL-6, EGF, MCP-1 y TGFβ1 y las características clínicas, bioquímicas y anatomopatológicas en enfermos con nefropatía IgA primaria y determinar su capacidad para realizar una estimación de la extensión de las lesiones de esclerosis glomerular e intersticial. Pacientes y métodos: Se estudió a 58 enfermos con nefropatía IgA. Se determinaron los niveles urinarios de IL-6, EGF, MCP-1 y TGFβ1 en el momento del diagnóstico. Tras realizar un análisis de la extensión de las lesiones renales mediante morfometría cuantitativa y mediante los criterios de Oxford, se analizó la capacidad de dichas moléculas para estimar la extensión de las lesiones glomerulares e intersticiales de fibrosis. Resultados: La IL-6, MCP-1 y TGF-β1 se asociaron a glomeruloesclerosis focal y a la extensión de la fibrosis intersticial, pero no a la presencia de proliferación mesangial, intracapilar o extracapilar. EGF presentó una asociación negativa con la fibrosis intersticial. Al categorizar a los enfermos según la clasificación de Oxford, los enfermos con scores T1 y T2 presentaron niveles significativamente superiores de IL-6, MCP-1 y TGFβ1, y niveles de EGF significativamente inferiores que los enfermos con T0. Tanto mediante regresión múltiple como mediante regresión logística, los niveles de MCP-1, IL-6 y EGF fueron predictores independientes de la superficie de fibrosis, tras ajustar por edad y FGe. Conclusión: La determinación de la concentración urinaria de IL-6, EGF y MCP-1 proporciona una información adicional que mejora de forma significativa la estimación de la superficie de fibrosis intersticial (AU)

Objective: To analyse the associations between urinary levels of IL-6 EGF, MCP-1 and TGFβ1 and clinical, biochemical and histopathological characteristics in patients with primary IgA nephropathy and their ability to predict the extent of lesions of glomerular and/or interstitial sclerosis. Patients and methods: A total of 58 patients with IgA nephropathy were studied. We determined the urine levels of IL-6, EGF, MCP-1, and TGFβ1 at the time of diagnosis. The extent of glomerular and interstitial fibrosis was analyzed by quantitative morphometry and kidney biopsies were classified according to the Oxford criteria. We analysed the ability of these molecules to predict the extent of glomerular and interstitial fibrosis lesions. Results: IL-6, TGFβ1 and MCP-1 were associated with focal glomerulosclerosis and interstitial fibrosis extension but not with the presence of mesangial, extracapillary or endocapillary proliferation. EGF showed a negative association with interstitial fibrosis. By categorising patients according to the Oxford classification, patients with T1 and T2 scores had significantly higher levels of IL-6, MCP-1, TGF-β1 and significantly lower levels of EGF than patients with T0 scores. By multiple regression and logistic regression analyses, the levels of MCP-1, IL-6 and EGF were independent predictors of the fibrosis surface, after adjusting for age and eGFR. Conclusion: The urinary concentration of IL-6, EGF and MCP-1 provides additional information that significantly improves the estimation of the surface of interstitial fibrosis in patients with IgA nephropathy (AU)

Transforming growth factor-β1 in congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction: diagnosis and follow-up

OBJECTIVE: To assess the role of transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1) in congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction at diagnosis and during postoperative follow-up. MATERIAL AND METHODS: We conducted a case-control study including 19 patients with a mean age of 6.7 years and 19 matched controls. All patients presented negative voiding cystourethrography, obstructive diuretic renogram and underwent dismembered pyeloplasty. Urinary TGF-β1 and other markers were measured pre-, intra- and postoperatively. RESULTS: The mean bladder urine TGF-β1 concentration in obstructed patients prior to pyeloplasty was higher than in controls (92.5 pg/mL ± 16.8 vs. 35.8 pg/mL ± 16.2; p = 0.0001). The mean renal pelvic urine TGF-β1 concentration in the hydronephrotic kidney was higher than in the preoperative bladder urine sample (122.3 pg/mL ± 43.9 vs. 92.5 pg/mL ± 16.8; p = 0.036). Postoperative mean TGF-β1 concentration was significantly lower than preoperative TGF-β1 (48.7 pg/mL ± 13.1 vs. 92.5 pg/mL ± 16.8; p = 0.0001). CONCLUSION: TGF-β1 is a cytokine leading to renal fibrosis. The measurement of urinary TGF-β1 could become a useful tool for the diagnosis of obstructive hydronephrosis and the evaluation of the parenchyma function status, pre and postoperatively.

Reduced cortical renal GLUT1 expression induced by angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibition in diabetic spontaneously hypertensive rats

Diabetes in spontaneously hypertensive rats is associated with cortical renal GLUT1 and GLUT2 overexpression. Our objective was to evaluate the effect of the angiotensin-converting enzyme blockade on cortical renal GLUT1 and GLUT2 expression, urinary albumin and urinary TGF-¦Â1. Streptozotocin, 50 mg/kg, or citrate buffer (N = 16) was administered as a single injection into the tail vein in adult spontaneously hypertensive rats (~260 g). Thirty days later, these diabetic spontaneously hypertensive rats received ramipril by gavage: 0.01 mg¡¤kg-1¡¤day-1 (D0.01, N = 14), 1 mg¡¤kg-1¡¤day-1 (D1, N = 9) or water (D, N = 11) for 15 days. Albumin and TGF-¦Â1 (24-h urine), direct arterial pressure, renal tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme activity (fluorometric assay), and GLUT1 and GLUT2 protein levels (Western blot, renal cortex) were determined. Glycemia and glycosuria were higher (P < 0.05) in the diabetic rats compared with controls, but similar between the diabetic groups. Diabetes in spontaneously hypertensive rats lowered renal tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme activity (40 percent), which was reduced further when higher ramipril doses were used. Diabetes associated with hypertension raised GLUT1 by 28 percent (P < 0.0001) and GLUT2 by 76 percent (P = 0.01), and both doses of ramipril equally reduced cortical GLUT1 (D vs D1 and vs D0.01, P ¡Ü 0.001). GLUT2 levels were reduced in D0.01 (P < 0.05 vs D). Diabetes increased urinary albumin and TGF-¦Â1 urinary excretion, but the 15-day ramipril treatment (with either dose) did not reduce them. In conclusion, ramipril is effective in lowering renal tissue angiotensin-converting enzyme activity, as well as blocking cortical GLUT1 overexpression, which may be beneficial in arresting the development of diabetic nephropathy.