Abstract
Tubular microcyst formation is a prominent histopathologic feature of HIV-associated nephropathy (HIVAN), but its pathogenesis is unknown. HIV-1 has recently been shown to infect renal tubular epithelial cells in patients with HIVAN. In addition, HIV-1 gene expression in renal epithelial cells has been shown to cause a renal disease that is identical to HIVAN in HIV-1 transgenic mice. In these studies, immunohistochemistry for tubular segment-specific markers and mRNA in situ hybridization for HIV-1 was used to determine which tubular segments develop microcysts and which segments express HIV-1 in the kidneys of transgenic mice and patients with HIVAN. It was found that microcysts involve multiple nephron segments in both patients with HIVAN and HIV-1 transgenic mice. Furthermore, HIV-1 infection in HIVAN and HIV-1 transgene expression also occurs in multiple segments of the nephron. These data support a direct role for HIV-1 infection of renal epithelial cells in the pathogenesis of microcyst formation in patients with HIVAN.
Original language | English (US) |
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Pages (from-to) | 2645-2651 |
Number of pages | 7 |
Journal | Journal of the American Society of Nephrology |
Volume | 12 |
Issue number | 12 |
DOIs | |
State | Published - 2001 |
Externally published | Yes |
ASJC Scopus subject areas
- General Medicine