Prospective study on the change of nucleoplasm distribution of GRα in peripheral blood of children with primary nephrotic syndrome

WU Chen; ZANG Yaoyao; LIANG Juan; LIANG Can; ZENG Ping; SHAO Hu; GUAN Fengjun

doi:10.13431/j.cnki.immunol.j.20250048

Abstract：Objective To explore the change of nucleoplasm distribution of glucocorticoid receptor alpha(GRα)in peripheral blood of children with primary nephrotic syndrome(PNS)during the course of the disease,aiming at evaluating the correlation between nuclear transport abnormality and different GC responses.Methods A total of 45 children with PNS were enrolled as subjects in this prospective study,and divided into steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome(SSNS,n=36)and steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome(SRNS,n=9)groups,according to their response to GC.The SSNS group was further subclassified into non-frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome(NFRNS,n=21)and frequently relapsing nephrotic syndrome(FRNS,n=15)based on relapse frequency during 12-month follow-up.Peripheral blood samples were collected before GC treatment,6-week and 6-month after GC treatment.GRα nuclear localization was detected by immunofluorescence assay,and their correlations with clinical-laboratory indicators were analyzed.Results Before the GC treatment,the average fluorescence intensity showed no significantly difference among different groups(P＞0.05),the GRαin the three groups were localized mainly in cytoplasm,and the nucleocytoplasmic ratio showed no significantly difference among the three groups(P＞0.05).6-week after the GC treatment,the average fluorescence intensity showed no significantly difference among the three groups(P＞0.05),the GRα in SSNS group were localized mainly in nucleus,while those in SRNS group were localized mainly in cytoplasm.Furthermore,nucleocytoplasmic ratio in NFRNS group and SRNS group demonstrated significant differences,while those in NFRNS group and FRNS group showed no significant difference(P＞0.05).6-month after the GC treatment,the average fluorescence intensity in NFRNS group and FRNS group showed no significant difference(P＞0.05),GRα in the two groups were localized mainly in nucleus,and their nucleocytoplasmic ratio had significantly differences(P＜0.05).The GRα nucleocytoplasmic ratio in children with PNS was negatively correlated with 24-hour urine protein(24 h-UTP),TNF-α,while positively correlated with serum albumin(Alb).Conclusion There are differences in nuclear transport ability among PNS children of SRNS,NFRNS and FRNS groups,and these differences are correlated with the differency of GC responses.