DETECTION OF MONOCYTE CHEMOATTRACTANT PROTEIN-1 (MCP-1) AND ITS RECEPTORS IN MESANGIAL PROLIFERATIVE GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

There are many reports suggesting that tissue damage in chronic glomer ulonephritis (CGN) might be related to macrophages, and that a variety of chemotactic factors (intercrine or chemokine) activate macrophages . Monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1), a chemotactic cytokine, has been suggested to be both an important monocyte chemotaxin and act ivator in renal inflammation. Here, we studied the expression of MCP-1 and its receptors, both common (CKR-1), as well as specific (MCP-1a a nd MCP-1b) in human renal tissues at mRNA levels by reverse transcript ase polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay. Total RNA was extracted from renal tissues that were obtained from 40 patients. Separation of the glomeruli was performed in 17 patients. There was stronger MCP-1 m RNA expression in the whole renal tissue samples than in the isolated glomeruli. The expression of MCP-1 receptor was also greater in the wh ole tissue than in the glomeruli. Moreover, the expression of MCP-1 mR NA was correlated with the levels of serum creatinine, creatinine clea rance (Ccr) and interstitial tissue damage. Finally, our study shows t he infiltration of macrophages was strongly demonstrated in the inters titium by monoclonal antibody (CD68) using the ABC method, and it has a correlation with the frequency of MCP-1. positive group. We conclude d that MCP-1 might be connected with the pathogenesis of mesangial pro liferative glomerulonephritis (mesPGN) and that interstitial events mi ght be related to the progression of mesPGN.