THE FREQUENCY OF HEPATITIS-B VIRUS-INFECTION IN GREEK PATIENTS WITH VARIOUS TYPES OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

The frequency of hepatitis B surface antigen (HBsAg) was studied in the sera of 622 patients with glomerulonephritis (GN). The prevalence of HBs-antigenemia was 2.8% (18/622;eleven adults and seven children); the difference from 2.6% in the general population of Central and Southern Greece was not statistically significant (chi(2) = 0.01; p > 0.50). Two of the 11 HBsAg-seropositive adult patients with GN suffered from IgA nephropathy, one from IgA and membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN), four from diffuse proliferative GN, two from membranous GN and one each from crescentic GN and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. Five children out of 12 with membranous glomerulonephritis, one out of 24 with IgA nephropathy and one out of 16 with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis had HBs-antigenemia. The frequency of HBs-antigenemia in children with MGN was 41.7%, which is significantly higher than in children with others types of GN (0.9%). All seropositive patients were asymptomatic HBsAg carriers, while one seropositive HBsAg child with MGN suffered from chronic persistent hepatitis. HBsAg was detected by the immunoperoxidase-antiperoxidase (PAP) method in the glomeruli of only 3 children with MGN and HBs antigenemia, while HBcAg was not detected in any case. Our study suggests that in the Greek population there is no increased prevalence of HBs-antigenemia in patients with glomerulonephritis. Moreover, HBsAg was not found to contribute in the pathogenesis of GN in adults but it may be associated with the pathogenesis of membranous GN in children

Immunohistochemical study of epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) in various types of renal injury

Epidermal growth factor (EGF), a polypeptide with a potent mitogen activity, and its receptor [EGFR] have been previously identified in the kidney, but their expression in normal and diseased kidneys has not been fully elucidated. In order to evaluate EGFR in various histological types of renal injury, EGFR expression was studied by the immunohisto-chemical avidin–biotin complex (ABC) method with a monoclonal antibody EGFR on paraffin sections from 10 normal kidneys, 56 renal biopsies with various types of glomerulonephritis (GN), and 20 renal grafts with rejection. EGFR expression was observed in (a) 3 of 10 (30%) normal kidneys, (b) 17 of 39 (43.6%) renal biopsies with various types of GN mainly in membranous GN (57%) and in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSG) (62.5%), (c) 6 of 17 (35.3%) biopsies with various types of systemic lupus erythematosus GN, and (d) 12 of 20 (60%) renal grafts with acute (42.9%) and chronic (69.2%) rejection. EGFR was mainly localized to the epithelial cells of the distal and collecting tubules and extraglomelar vessels, while it was observed less fre quently in parietal epithelial cells and along glomerular basement membranes. Notably EGFR was detected in the epithelial cells adjacent to adhesions with Bowman's capsule and in the connective tissue of fibrocellular crescents. In conclusion, EGFR expression was observed more frequently in diseased than in normal kidneys. The increased incidence of EGFR expression in FSG, in chronic rejection, in small adhesions with Bowman's capsule and fibrocellular crescents suggest that EGF/EGFR may be correlated with a disturbed extra-cellular matrix production resulting in formation of early sclerotic lesions. © 1994 European Dialysis and Transplant Association-European Renal Association

HEPATITIS-C VIRUS-INFECTION AMONG GREEK RENAL-TRANSPLANT PATIENTS

In this study, the prevalence of hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection among renal transplant recipients was high, directly proportional to the haemodialysis time before transplant and inversely proportional to the time after this. There was evidence of previous infection with hepatitis B virus (HBV), and a high prevalence of abnormal liver function tests. Virus induced chronic hepatitis lesions were rare, probably as a result of immunosuppression