The basement membrane heparan sulfate proteoglycan produced by the Englebreth-Holm-Swarm (EHS) tumor and by glomeruli were compared by immunological methods. Antibodies to the EHS proteoglycan immunoprecipitated a single precursor protein (Mr = 400,000) from [35S]methionine-pulsed glomeruli, the same size produced by EHS cells. These antibodies detected both heparan sulfate proteoglycans and gl...

We present the first known case of pulmonary artery aneurysms as a feature of Recurrent Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane disease.

Sir, We read with interest the multicentre Italian study by Frascà et al. [1] that confirms that a proportion of patients (6/51) with thin glomerular basement membrane disease (TBMD) have an underlying type IV collagen mutation that may not always be benign. In the ‘subjects and methods’ section they state that the measurements of glomerular basement membrane was performed by the method publish...

Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis and anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease are two separate diseases, while sometimes they can coexist together. The exact mechanisms are not clear, but due to the rapid progression and poor prognosis, prompt and aggressive treatment is usually required. We treated with steroids combined with cyclophosphamide and rituxima...

Perlecan is a heparan sulfate proteoglycan and a major component of the glomerular basement membrane. To understand the role of heparan sulfate chains of perlecan in glomerular filtration, detailed analyses were performed of the kidneys of Hspg2(Delta)(3/)(Delta)(3) mice, whose perlecan lacks heparan sulfate attachment sites in N-terminal domain I. Macroscopic, histologic, and electron microsco...

A 73-year-old woman who had a history of primary biliary cirrhosis developed rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and pulmonary-renal syndrome. She was found to have anti-mitochondrial antibody (AMA) and myeloperoxidase (MPO) anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA). She also had weak anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) antibody. She was treated with methylprednisolone pulse therapy, b...

Glomerular lesions including membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis occur spontaneously in aged mice, but they are rare in young animals. In our laboratory, spontaneous glomerulonephritis was observed in an 8-week-old male Crj:CD1 (ICR) mouse. Macroscopically, the bilateral kidneys were discolored, but no edema or ascites was observed. Glomerular lesions were characterized by a thickening of ...

The podocyte is a highly differentiated cell located in the outer space of the glomerular basement membrane that deals with many different functions. This phylogenetically preserved cell that is responsible for the virtually absence of proteins in the urine lacks of the capacity to divide under normal conditions. When podocytes receive molecular insults, which normally occur during stress condi...