Significance of epithelial to mesenchymal transition in children with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome

ZHOU Pin; HE Qing-nan; TAN Ai-bin; LI Xiao-yan; JIANG Ying; HUANG Ai-wen; YI Zhu-wen

Abstract：Objective To study the relationship of epithelial to mesenchymal transition with renal pathological progression and slucocorticoid resistance in idiopathic nephrotic syndrome. Methods The different expressions of CK and vimentin were detected with the immunohistochemistry double staining technique in renal biopsy tissues obtained from 20 SRNS children, 20 SSNS children and 5 nephrectomized healthy children, respectively. Renal histopathological lesion was evaluated by the semi-quantitative counting scores. Results The tuhulointerstitial pahological counting scores in SRNS group was higher than that in SSNS group (P < 0.05). There was no vimentin but CK expression on the tubular epithelium in the control group and different levels of expression of vimentin were found in INS group. In SRNS group, the expression of CK was lower than SSNS group [(66.25±12.13)% , (76.64±7.64), P < 0.05] and the expression of vimentin was higher than SSNS group [(11.51±7.48)%, (4.98±2.27)% , P<0.05]. With the raising grade of tubulointerstitial lesions (graded as mild, moderate and severe lesions), the expression of vimentin was increased wheres expression of CK was decreased [vimentin, (4.74±1.84) %, (9.65±5.10) %, (23.60±7.72)%, P< 0.05]; CK, (79.97±3.70)% , (65.47±7.93)% , (48.47±5.98)% , P <0.05]. The counting scores of the tubulointerstitial lesions were positively correlated with the level of vimentin expression (r=0.868, P < 0.01) , but negatively correlated with CK expression level in renal tissues (r=-0.887, P <0.01). Conclusion The phenomenon of EMT exists differently in renal tissues of INS cases anti the degree of those is higher in SRNS group. The detection of EMT in renal tissues can be adopted to tell the different prognoses in INS.