T. Wada et al., IMMUNOHISTOCHEMICAL LOCALIZATION OF LATENT TRANSFORMING-GROWTH-FACTOR-BETA BINDING-PROTEIN IN IGA NEPHROPATHY, Kidney international, 1997, pp. 182-184
It has been demonstrated that cultured mesangial cells (MC) express la
tent transforming growth factor (TGF)-beta binding protein (LTBP) mRNA
, and that LTBP might he essential for the extracellular matrix (ECM)
accumulation stimulated by TGF-beta in cultured MC. We performed a stu
dy to test the pathophysiological role of LTBP in mesangial ECM accumu
lation in human glomerulonephropathies. The expression of LTBP in 64 r
enal biopsies of patients with renal diseases was examined by immunohi
stochemical staining with the specific antibody raised against human L
TBP. The biopsy specimens were divided into three groups: Group 1, IgA
nephropathy; Group 2, IgA negative mesangial proliferative glomerulon
ephritis, which mainly consisted of diabetic nephropathy and lupus nep
hritis; and Group 3, non-proliferative nephropathy, which consisted of
minimal change and membranous nephropathy. Immunohistochemical staini
ng of LTBP was significantly detected in mesangial/paramesangial area
of glomerulus in Group 1, but not observed in Group 2 or Group 3. The
intensity of staining was well related to the grade of mesangial ECM a
ccumulation in Group 1. These findings suggest that the LTBP-TGF-beta
complex may play a pivotal role in ECM accumulation in IgA nephropathy
, and that modification of LTBP-ECM interaction might provide a new th
erapeutic strategy against the progression of glomerulosclerosis.