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Research Article Free access | 10.1172/JCI119163

Podocyte loss and progressive glomerular injury in type II diabetes.

M E Pagtalunan, P L Miller, S Jumping-Eagle, R G Nelson, B D Myers, H G Rennke, N S Coplon, L Sun, and T W Meyer

Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Department of Medicine, VA Palo Alto Healthcare System, Stanford, California 94305, USA.

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Published January 15, 1997 - More info

Published in Volume 99, Issue 2 on January 15, 1997
J Clin Invest. 1997;99(2):342–348. https://doi.org/10.1172/JCI119163.
© 1997 The American Society for Clinical Investigation
Published January 15, 1997 - Version history
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Abstract

Kidney biopsies from Pima Indians with type II diabetes were analyzed. Subjects were classified clinically as having early diabetes (n = 10), microalbuminuria (n = 17), normoalbuminuria, despite a duration of diabetes equal to that of the subjects with microalbuminuria (n = 12), or clinical nephropathy (n = 12). Subjects with microalbuminuria exhibited moderate increases in glomerular and mesangial volume when compared with those with early diabetes, but could not be distinguished from subjects who remained normoalbuminuric after an equal duration of diabetes. Subjects with clinical nephropathy exhibited global glomerular sclerosis and more prominent structural abnormalities in nonsclerosed glomeruli. Marked mesangial expansion was accompanied by a further increase in total glomerular volume. Glomerular capillary surface area remained stable, but the glomerular basement membrane thickness was increased and podocyte foot processes were broadened. Broadening of podocyte foot processes was associated with a reduction in the number of podocytes per glomerulus and an increase in the surface area covered by remaining podocytes. These findings suggest that podocyte loss contributes to the progression of diabetic nephropathy.

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