Renal cell turnover studied by Y chromosome (Y body) staining of the transplanted human kidney

To address questions about turnover between human renal cell populations and extrarenal cells, we studied kidneys that had been transplanted between sexes. By staining frozen sections with acranil and enumerating Y bodies, we could distinguish between male and female tubular and glomerular cells in control nontransplant kidneys. We studied 12 kidneys that had been transplanted from females to males, including seven which had mesangial cell hyperplasia in the transplant. There were virtually no Y body-positive nuclei in the glomeruli or tubules of the 12 kidneys. Thus there was no evidence for an extrarenal cell contribution to either normal or proliferative mesangial cells or to other renal cells. Two of these 12 kidneys had cellular glomerular crescents. Y body-postive extrarenal cells were present in the crescents. Interstitial infiltrates in female-to-male transplants were also Y body-positive.