To detect the early podocyte injury in human glomerulopathies

2021 Fiscal Year Final Research Report

• Project/Area Number: 18K15986
• Research Category: Grant-in-Aid for Early-Career Scientists
• Allocation Type: Multi-year Fund
• Review Section: Basic Section 53040:Nephrology-related
• Research Institution: Jikei University School of Medicine
• Principal Investigator: Okabe Masahiro 東京慈恵会医科大学, 医学部, 助教 (70595272)
• Project Period (FY): 2018-04-01 – 2022-03-31
• Keywords: ポドサイト / ポドサイト傷害 / 糸球体疾患 / EGR-1 / 慢性腎臓病

Outline of Final Research Achievements

In human glomerular diseases, EGR-1 expression in podocytes was positively correlated with urinary protein level and urinary nephrin and podocin mRNA levels, and inversely correlated with glomerular podocin staining, suggesting that podocyte EGR-1 expression is associated with podocyte injury in humans as in mice. Also, EGR-1 expression in podocytes was positively correlated with acute lesions in histopathological findings, suggesting that EGR-1 expression reflects particularly acute injury. A subgroup analysis of IgA nephropathy in the same cohort showed similar results, and another analysis of lupus nephritis in a different cohort also showed an association between podocyte EGR1 expression and activity of the disease, consistent with previous reports. Therefore, podocyte EGR-1 expression may be a useful staining marker for podocyte injury.

Free Research Field

腎臓

Academic Significance and Societal Importance of the Research Achievements

ヒトにおけるポドサイト傷害の染色マーカーは確立したものがなかったが，EGR-1がポドサイト傷害マーカーとして有用となるかもしれない．これにより，糸球体疾患でのポドサイト傷害の程度を可視化可能となる．また，ポドサイトのEGR-1発現率の違いにより，予後や治療反応性を予測し，免疫抑制剤の使用方法を変更するなど，オーダーメイド治療につながる可能性がある．