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Activated peripheral blood mononuclear cells in IgA nephropathy express platelet-derived growth factor B-chain
T Nakamura1, I Ebihara, I Nagaoka
1Department of Medicine, Juntendo University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan.
We investigated platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A- and B-chain messenger RNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or T cells obtained from 26 patients with IgA nephropathy and 15 healthy age-matched control subjects. Most patients with IgAN (88%) showed elevated PDGF B-chain expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells; no PDGF B-chain expression was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal control subjects. In T cells from both patients with IgAN and normal control subjects, however, PDGF B-chain messenger RNA expression was not detected. A positive correlation was noted between PDGF B-chain messenger RNA levels and urinary protein excretion. The PDGF B-chain messenger RNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells also correlated with histopathologic changes in renal tissue obtained from patients with IgAN. Sixty-five percent of patients with grade III or IV histopathologic findings showed strong PDGF B-chain gene expression in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We could not detect PDGF A-chain messenger RNA expression in either peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T cells obtained from patients with IgAN and from healthy control subjects. These studies suggest that abnormally regulated PDGF B-chain expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells may be associated with the progression of IgAN and may be useful as an indicator of disease activity.
We investigated platelet-derived growth factor (PDGF) A- and B-chain messenger RNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells or T cells obtained from 26 patients with IgA nephropathy and 15 healthy age-matched control subjects. Most patients with IgAN (88%) showed elevated PDGF B-chain expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells; no PDGF B-chain expression was detected in peripheral blood mononuclear cells of normal control subjects. In T cells from both patients with IgAN and normal control subjects, however, PDGF B-chain messenger RNA expression was not detected. A positive correlation was noted between PDGF B-chain messenger RNA levels and urinary protein excretion. The PDGF B-chain messenger RNA expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells also correlated with histopathologic changes in renal tissue obtained from patients with IgAN. Sixty-five percent of patients with grade III or IV histopathologic findings showed strong PDGF B-chain gene expression in their peripheral blood mononuclear cells. We could not detect PDGF A-chain messenger RNA expression in either peripheral blood mononuclear cells and T cells obtained from patients with IgAN and from healthy control subjects. These studies suggest that abnormally regulated PDGF B-chain expression in peripheral blood mononuclear cells may be associated with the progression of IgAN and may be useful as an indicator of disease activity.