ANALYSIS OF MONONUCLEAR-CELLS IN URINE USING FLOW-CYTOMETRY IN GLOMERULAR-DISEASES

Analysis of urinary substances, such as low molecular weight proteins and enzymes localized in the proximal tubulus and cytokines, has been proposed as being useful in monitoring the disease activity of glomeru lonephritis [1-4]. However, most of these markers are more closely ass ociated with renal tubulointerstitial injury than glomerular injury. I t has been demonstrated that mononuclear cells (macrophages and lympho cytes) are involved in the pathogenesis of various types of human glom erulonephritis, as well as in animal models [5-7]. If mononuclear cell s are involved in glomerular injury, it can be assumed that such cells could be detected in urine; however, to our knowledge, the characteri zation of mononuclear cells in urine has not been investigated. We hav e recently demonstrated that increased numbers of mononuclear cells ar e observed in the urine of patients with active IgA nephropathy and th at the extent of active crescents in biopsy specimens is significantly correlated with the number of urinary macrophages and natural killer cells [8]. The aim of the present study is to evaluate the clinical us efulness of analyzing mononuclear cells in urine as a non-invasive dia gnostic tool for glomerular injury.