Activation of the extracellular-signal regulated protein kinase pathway in human glomerulopathies

Examined was extracellular-signal regulated kinase (ERK) activation in normal human kidney (n = 2) and a cohort of glomerulopathies by immunohistochemistry staining for the dual-phosphorylated form of ERK (p-ERK). Cell proliferation was determined by expression of the proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA). In normal human kidney, p-ERK was largely restricted to the cytoplasm of cells of the collecting duct (CD). In glomerulopathies, glomerular ERK activation was highly variable. However, there was colocalization of cell proliferation and ERK activation in the glomerular tuft and crescents. Tubular ERK activation in the different glomerulopathies was confined to the CD in areas with normal architecture. In contrast, ERK activation was prominent in tubules and interstitial cells in areas of tubulointerstitial damage. ERK activation was observed in glomerular and interstitial alpha-smooth muscle actin-positive myofibroblasts, but few macrophages or T cells showed ERK activation. There was a significant correlation between glomerular p-ERK+ and PCNA+ cells and between tubular p-ERK+ and PCNA+ cells. Glomerular p-ERK+ cells correlated with glomerular cellularity and the percentage of glomeruli with segmental lesions. Tubular p-ERK+ cells correlated with renal dysfunction and interstitial fibrosis and tubular atrophy. In conclusion, activation of the ERK pathway in human glomerulopathies correlates with cell proliferation, histologic lesions, and renal dysfunction. ERK activation may promote renal repair through tubular proliferation while promoting renal fibrosis via proliferation of glomerular and interstitial myofibroblasts.