Related Experiment Video
Updated: Apr 19, 2026
Detection of MicroRNA Expression in the Kidneys of Immunoglobulin A Nephropathic Mice
Published on: July 8, 2020
Significance of urinary full-length megalin in patients with IgA nephropathy
Takuto Seki1, Katsuhiko Asanuma1, Rin Asao2
1Division of Nephrology, Juntendo University Faculty of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan; TMK project, Medical Innovation Center, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, Kyoto, Japan.
Background And Objectives:
Megalin is highly expressed at the apical membranes of proximal tubular epithelial cells. A urinary full-length megalin (C-megalin) assay is linked to the severity of diabetic nephropathy in type 2 diabetes. This study examined the relationship between levels of urinary C-megalin and histological findings in adult patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN).
Design, Setting, Participants, & Measurements:
Urine samples voided in the morning on the day of renal biopsy were obtained from 73 patients with IgAN (29 men and 44 women; mean age, 33 years) and 5 patients with membranous nephropathy (MN). Renal pathologic variables were analyzed using the Oxford classification of IgAN, the Shigematsu classification and the Clinical Guidelines of IgAN in Japan. The levels of urinary C-megalin were measured by sandwich ELISA.
Results:
Histological analysis based on the Oxford classification revealed that the levels of urinary C-megalin were correlated with mesangial hypercellularity in IgAN patients (OR = 1.76, 95% CI: 1.04-3.27, P<0.05). There was a significant correlation between the levels of urinary C-megalin and the severity of chronic extracapillary abnormalities according to the Shigematsu classification in IgAN patients (β = 0.33, P = 0.008). The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in all risk levels of IgAN patients requiring dialysis using the Clinical Guidelines of IgAN in Japan than in the control group. The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in the high risk and very high risk grades than in the low risk grade (P<0.05). The levels of urinary C-megalin were significantly higher in MN patients compared to the control group.
Conclusions:
The levels of urinary C-megalin are associated with histological abnormalities in adult IgAN patients. There is a possibility that urinary C-megalin is an independent predictor of disease progression of IgAN. In addition, our results suggest that urinary C-megalin is a marker of glomerular abnormalities in various glomerular diseases as well as IgAN.
More Related Videos
14:18Author Spotlight: Investigating the Potential of Chinese Herbal Medicinal Active Dioscin in Treating IgA Nephropathy
Published on: October 13, 2023
09:16Highly Sensitive Measurement of Glomerular Permeability in Mice with Fluorescein Isothiocyanate-polysucrose 70
Published on: August 9, 2019
Related Concept Videos
01:25Drug Dosing in Renal Diseases: Measurement of Glomerular Filtration Rate
01:26Nephrotic Syndrome II : Assessment and Medical Management
01:24Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction
01:23Renal Clearance
Renal clearance refers to the volume of plasma cleared of a specific substance, such as creatinine, per unit of time. To measure clearance, urine samples are collected over a 24-hour period during each bladder voiding, followed by a single blood sample at the...
01:20Renal Corpuscle
Glomerulus: Structure and Function
The glomerulus is a tiny, intricate network of capillaries located at the beginning of the nephron. It's enveloped by the Bowman's capsule and receives its blood supply from an afferent arteriole, which divides into numerous...
01:28Diabetic Nephropathy