| Objective: Epithelial to myofibroblast transition (EMT) is a key event playing a critical role in the progression of chronic renal disease. Emerging evidence suggests that Integrin -linked kinase (ILK) is very crucial in mediating EMT induced by TGF-β1. To elucidate the association of the expression of ILK in human renal tubulointerstitial with renal interstitial pathological injury of patients with chronic nephropathy and to evaluate the role of Integrin-linked kinase in the genesis of chronic renal interstitial injury and fibrosis.Methods: According to the score of the renal interstitial pathology injury (referring to the standard classification of the glomerular pathology by WHO in 1982), Forty-nine biopsies from patients with chronic renal disease respectively were divided into four groups: 4 patients in control group (score=0),17 patients in minor injury group (score=1 to 4), 16 patients in middle injury group (score=5 to 8), 12 patients in severe injury group (score=9 to 12). All specimens were semiquantitatively examined expression of TGFβ1, ILK, E-cadherin, and fibronectin by immunohistochemisty and computer image analysis system. Clinical indexes of these patients, such as Hepatic function, renal function, blood pressure were also collected.Results: (1) ILK was rarely detected in control group, and the expression of ILK increased gradually in other groups with the degree of renal interstitial pathological injury (P<0.001). ILK was observed in tubulointerstitial space with severe lesion, with the most prominent in tubular epithelial cells, next tubulointerstitial spaces. A significant positive correlation was found between the expression of ILK in renal tubulointerstitial tissue and the degree of renal tubulointerstitial pathological injury (r=0.736). (2) TGF-?1 was detected in control group, and the expression was increased gradually in other groups with the degree of renal tubulointerstitial pathological injury (P<0.001), TGF-?1 was mainly... |
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