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The size of the juxtaglomerular apparatus in glomerulonephritis with the nephrotic syndrome

A morphometrical study of renal biopsies

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Summary

The juxtaglomerular apparatus was histoplanimetrically studied in renal biopsies of 65 cases of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis and 64 cases of minimal proliferative intercapillary glomerulonephritis (MPI) (“minimal changes”). The juxtaglomerular cell complex (JGC complex) consisting of the epithelioid cells (granular cells) and the Goormaghtigh's cells (agranular or lacis cells) was significantly enlarged in the nephrotic syndrome. 10 to 14 days' duration of the nephrotic syndrome was shown to be sufficient to bring about an enlargement of the JGC complex. After a successful treatment of the nephrotic syndrome with steroids, there was no enlargement of the JGC complex. The enlarged JGC complex persisted despite steroid treatment in the steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome, although a mild suppressive effect of steroids on the size of the JGC complex was observed.

There was no significant relationship between hypertension and the size of the JGC complex.

Creatinine retention tended to be associated with an enlargement of the JGC complex.

The macula densa was not enlarged in the nephrotic syndrome, in contrast to the enlarged JGC complex.

Zusammenfassung

Morphometrische Untersuchungen zur Größe des juxtaglomerulären Apparates bei Glomerulonephritis wurden an Nierenbiopsien von 65 Fällen mit membranoproliferativer Glomerulonephritis und 64 Fällen mit minimal proliferierender intercapillärer Glomerulonephritis (MPI) (“minimal changes”) planimetrisch durchgeführt.

Die aus den epitheloiden Zellen und Goormaghtigh-Zellen bestehenden juxtaglomerulären Zellkomplexe (JGZ-Komplexe) waren bei nephrotischem Syndrom statistisch signifikant vergrößert. Das Bestehen eines nephrotischen Syndroms über 10–14 Tage erwies sich als ausreichend, um eine Vergrößerung der JGZ-Komplexe hervorzurufen. Bei klinischer Besserung des nephrotischen Syndroms infolge einer Steroidbehandlung entsprach die Größe der JGZ-Komplexe den Kontrollen. Bei steroidresistentem nephrotischem Syndrom blieben die JGZ-Komplexe, trotz der Steroidbehandlung, vergrößert, jedoch ließ sich ein geringgradiger Hemmeffekt der Steroide auf die Größenzunahme der JGZ-Komplexe bei steroid-resistentem nephrotischem Syndrom feststellen.

Ein Hypertonus hatte keinen statistisch signifikanten Einfluß auf die Größe der JGZ-Komplexe. Bei Kreatinin-Retention ergab sich eine Tendenz zur Hypertrophie der JGZ-Komplexe. Im Gegensatz zu den JGZ-KompIexen zeigten die Maculae densae keine signifikante Vergrößerung bei nephrotischem Syndrom.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Pathologisches Institut der Universität Tübingen, Germany

    Mitsuru Hara & Dieter Meyer

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  1. Mitsuru Hara
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  2. Dieter Meyer
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Dedicated to Prof. Dr. Dr. h.c. Dr. h.c. E. Letterer on his 80th birthday.

Supported by the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

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Hara, M., Meyer, D. The size of the juxtaglomerular apparatus in glomerulonephritis with the nephrotic syndrome. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 367, 1–14 (1975). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430768

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00430768

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