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Published on: January 22, 2020
Decreased renal expression of vascular endothelial growth factor in lupus nephritis is associated with worse
Yingyos Avihingsanon1, Thitima Benjachat2, Adis Tassanarong3
1Renal Division, Lupus Research Unit, Department of Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand; Department of Medicine, Chulalongkorn University, Bangkok, Thailand.
Insights
Vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) is lower in lupus nephritis (LN) patients, correlating with kidney damage. Reduced intrarenal VEGF predicts short-term kidney function decline in LN.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Immunology
- Molecular Biology
Background:
- Vascular Endothelial Growth Factor (VEGF) is implicated in maintaining renal function.
- VEGF may serve as a biomarker for monitoring Lupus Nephritis (LN) progression.
Purpose of the Study:
- To correlate intrarenal VEGF expression with histopathology and prognosis in LN patients.
- To investigate VEGF's role as a predictive marker for renal function in LN.
Main Methods:
- Analysis of intrarenal VEGF mRNA levels in biopsy specimens from 35 LN patients (Class III/IV) and 10 donor kidneys.
- Correlation of VEGF levels with histological findings (glomerular proliferation, crescent formation, activity index) and urinary podocyte counts.
- Assessment of VEGF's predictive value for renal function deterioration within 12 months.
Main Results:
- LN patients exhibited significantly lower intrarenal VEGF mRNA levels compared to controls.
- Reduced VEGF mRNA negatively correlated with glomerular endocapillary proliferation, crescent formation, and high histologic activity index.
- Lower VEGF levels positively associated with increased urinary podocytes and predicted short-term renal function decline.
Conclusions:
- Intrarenal VEGF expression is diminished in LN and correlates with renal histopathology.
- VEGF serves as a molecular marker for renal damage in LN.
- Intrarenal VEGF mRNA is a predictive factor for short-term kidney function loss in LN patients.
Abstract:
Recent studies suggest that vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) plays a crucial role in the preservation of renal function and may also serve as a useful biomarker in monitoring the progression of lupus nephritis (LN). Here we sought to correlate intrarenal VEGF expression with renal histopathology and prognosis of LN. Biopsy specimens from 35 patients with Class III or IV LN (ISN/RPS categorization) were found to have lower levels of intrarenal VEGF than those found in biopsy tissue taken from 10 donor kidneys sampled at the time of allograft reperfusion. This reduced amount of VEGF mRNA in the patients with LN negatively correlated with glomerular endocapillary proliferation, crescent formation, and a high histologic activity index but was positively associated with increased numbers of urinary podocytes. The level of intrarenal VEGF mRNA accurately predicted the deterioration of renal function in these patients within 12 months. Our study shows that expression of VEGF in renal tissue may serve as a molecular marker of renal damage and may be a predictive factor for short-term loss of kidney function in patients with LN.
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