Diabetic nephropathy with marked extra-capillary cell proliferation: a case report
Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 29, 2025

Comparative Proteomic Analysis of Whole Kidney, Medulla, and Cortical Tubules in Diabetic Pathogenesis of Kidney Injury in Mice
Published on: May 2, 2025
Madoka Morimoto1, Tomoko Namba-Hamano2, Shoki Notsu3
1Department of Nephrology, Sakai City Medical Center, 1-1-1 Ebaraji-Cho, Nishi-Ku, Sakai City, Osaka, Japan. m_i_morimoto@sakai-hospital.jp.
Background:
Extra-capillary hypercellularity is a common finding in crescentic glomerulonephritis (GN) and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). In diabetic nephropathy (DN), extra-capillary hypercellularity is often observed as a finding of complications such as IgA nephropathy or microscopic polyangiitis superimposed on DN. However, in rare cases, epithelial cell proliferation may accompany DN. We experienced a case of nodular diabetic glomerulosclerosis with marked extra-capillary hypercellularity and revealed the origin of this atypical lesion using immunostainings.
Case Presentation:
A man in his 50 s was admitted to the hospital with nephrotic syndrome, and a renal biopsy was performed. Diffuse nodular lesions and extra-capillary hypercellularity were observed, but the results of serological examination or immunofluorescent assays did not implicate any other crescentic GN. Immunostaining for claudin-1 and nephrin was performed to identify the origin of the extra-capillary lesions. Given the clinical course and pathological findings, a diagnosis of DN-associated extra-capillary cell proliferation was made.
Conclusions:
Extra-capillary hypercellularity, which resembles FSGS or crescentic GN, is a rare finding in DN and should therefore be treated with caution. In such cases, co-staining for claudin-1 and nephrin may facilitate the diagnosis of DN.
More Related Videos
Related Concept Videos
Renal 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...
Chronic Kidney Disease I: Introduction
Nephrons
Chronic Kidney Disease II: Clinical Manifestations
Chronic Kidney Disease III: Interprofessional Care
Nephrotic Syndrome I : Introduction

