Proteinase-3 mRNA expressed by glomerular epithelial cells correlates with crescent formation in Wegener's granulomatosis

Proteinase-3 mRNA expressed by glomerular epithelial cells correlates with crescent formation in Wegener's granulomatosis. Background Wegener's granulomatosis (WG) is characterized by systemic vasculitis with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CGN) and circulating autoantibodies directed against neutrophil cytoplasmic antigens (ANCA). Proteinase 3 (PR-3), a neutral serine proteinase in neutrophils implicated in the growth control of myeloid cells, has been identified as the target antigen for ANCA in WG. Since the kidneys are frequently involved in WG, we studied the in situ expression of PR-3 by renal parenchymal cells. Methods We assessed the expression of PR-3 in kidney biopsies of 15 patien…

Acanthocyturia—A characteristic marker for glomerular bleeding

Acanthocyturia—A characteristic marker for glomerular bleeding. Erythrocyte morphology by phase contrast microscopic examination (PCM) of the urine is widely employed in distinguishing glomerular from nonglomerular bleeding. The proposed percentages of dysmorphic red cells are significant for glomerular bleeding in the range of 10 to 80% in the literature, because there is no clear cut definition of “dysmor-phism.” In the present study midstream urine samples of 351 patients with hematuria (> 8 erythrocytes/μl) and of 33 healthy controls were examined. The various dysmorphic red cells were analyzed by PCM according to a detailed hematological classification. Most of the dysmorphic red cells…

Morbus Fabry, Glomerulonephritis mit Halbmondbildung und granulomat�se interstitielle Nephritis

Eine 26-jahrige Patientin wurde unter der Diagnose "Fieber unbekannter Ursache" und Nierenversagen aufgenommen. Mittels Nierenbiopsie, einschlieslich histologischer, immunhistochemischer und elektronenmikroskopischer Verfahren wurden neben einem Morbus Fabry, eine extrakapillar-proliferative Glomerulonephritis (mit Halbmondbildung) und granulomatose interstitielle Nephritis diagnostiziert. Der Bruder der Patientin hatte vor Jahren eine Nierenbiopsie mit der Diagnose einer metabolischen Storung. Die Nachbeurteilung dieser Nierenbiopsie zeigte auch hier Nierenveranderungen im Rahmen eines Morbus Fabry, wobei assoziiert eine tubulointerstitielle Nephritis vorlag. Nach unserer Kenntnis ist dies…

Vasculitic wallenberg syndrome with detection of anti-proteinase 3 antibodies in the cerebrospinal fluid of a patient with severe Wegener's granulomatosis and only mild kidney involvement.

The use of computer-assisted video image analysis for the quantification of CD8+ T lymphocytes producing tumor necrosis factor alpha spots in response to peptide antigens.

Enzyme-linked immunospot (ELISPOT) analysis is a sensitive technique for the detection and quantification of single T lymphocytes forming cytokine spots after antigen contact in vitro. Herein computer-assisted video image analysis (CVIA) was applied to automatically determine the number and size of tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) spots formed by single blood-derived CD8+ T cells after contact with peptide-loaded target cells. With CVIA and TNF-alpha ELISPOT analysis we quantified CD8+ T cells responsive to HLA-A2.1-binding tyrosinase and influenza matrix peptides in healthy donors. We followed the course of the virus-specific T cell response in two HLA-A2-positive patients with reac…