Possible pathogenetic role of low-molecular-weight proteins in Balkan nephropathy

Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a tubulointerstitial disease characterized by increased-low-molecular-weight protein (LMWP), most notably, beta 2-microglobulin (beta 2m) excretion in urine. We previously demonstrated that two species of LMWPs, immunoglobulin light chains (LC) and recombinant alpha interferon (rIF), are toxic at proximal tubule cell membrane level. Myeloma LCs and rIF inhibit Na-dependent uptake of 14C-L-alanine and 14C-D-glucose by rat renal brush border membrane (BBM) vesicles at half-maximal inhibitory concentrations, IC50, ranging from 68 to 140 microM for LCs, and 5.4 to 18 nM for rIF. We further demonstrated that LCs bind to high-capacity, low-affinity sites on BBM with dissociation constants (Kd) ranging from 16 to 118 microM, a range similar to IC50s observed with the same LCs. Binding site occupancy is inversely related to alanine (r = -0.95, P less than 0.01), and glucose uptake (r = -0.96, P less than 0.01), implying that LC nephrotoxicity is determined by its binding to BBM. beta 2m shares behavioral and structural similarities with both LC and rIF. Preliminary studies in our laboratory showed that unlabeled LCs compete for the same binding sites on BBM with beta 2m. These observations confirm that all LMWP, including beta 2m, are potentially nephrotoxic. Thus, the characteristic beta 2-microglobulinuria of BEN may be more than a consequence of tubular dysfunction, and may play a pathogenetic role.