Abstract
Background
To clarify in vivo neopterin expression within the human kidney and its clinical role as a biomarker for immune complex-mediated mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis (mesPGN) in children.
Methods
We examined neopterin expression within the kidneys of 14 patients with mesPGN and five patients with minimal changes. We also measured the serum and urinary neopterin levels in fourteen patients with mesPGN and sixteen age-matched healthy controls and correlated the histological findings and clinical features.
Results
Neopterin expression was observed within the distal tubular epithelial cells. It was induced within the glomerular endothelial cells and infiltrated CD68-positive macrophages in the glomeruli and interstitial areas. Furthermore, urinary neopterin levels were significantly elevated and positively correlated with histopathological findings and the degree of proteinuria.
Conclusions
These findings indicate that increased urinary neopterin may reflect macrophage activation and active inflammation within the kidney in immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis. Neopterin may thus represent a useful biomarker of immune complex-mediated glomerulonephritis in the clinical setting.
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Acknowledgments
We thank Harumi Matsukawa for providing technical assistance.
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All the authors have declared no competing interest.
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Ueno, K., Shimizu, M., Yokoyama, T. et al. Urinary neopterin: an immune activation marker in mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Clin Exp Nephrol 19, 264–270 (2015). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-014-0984-z
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10157-014-0984-z