Acquisition of the monocyte/macrophage phenotype in human mesangial cells

• Published in: The Journal of laboratory and clinical medicine 2001-09, Vol.138 (3), p.193-199
• Main Authors: Watanabe, Susumu, Yoshimura, Ashio, Inui, Kiyoko, Yokota, Naoko, Liu, Yan, Sugenoya, Youichi, Morita, Hiroyuki, Ideura, Terukuni
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Acute Disease; Biological and medical sciences; Cell Count; Flow Cytometry; Fluorescent Antibody Technique, Indirect; Glomerular Mesangium - cytology; Glomerular Mesangium - drug effects; Glomerular Mesangium - metabolism; Glomerulonephritis; Glomerulonephritis, IGA - metabolism; Humans; Lupus Nephritis - metabolism; Macrophages - cytology; Male; Medical sciences; Middle Aged; Monocytes - cytology; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Nephropathies. Renovascular diseases. Renal failure; Phenotype; Platelet-Derived Growth Factor - pharmacology; Proto-Oncogene Proteins c-sis; Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - genetics; Receptor, Macrophage Colony-Stimulating Factor - metabolism; Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; RNA, Messenger - metabolism
• ISSN: 0022-2143; 1532-6543
• DOI: 10.1067/mlc.2001.116844

The function of intrinsic glomerular cells in active glomerular inflammation may be similar to that of monocytes/macrophages. Mesangial cells have phagocytic properties and release numerous mediators. In this study we examined whether human mesangial cells (hMCs) express a monocyte/macrophage phenotype in active glomerular inflammation. We report that the proto-oncogene c-fms, the macrophage colony-stimulating factor (M-CSF) receptor, which is a characteristic gene of monocytes/macrophages, is expressed in hMCs. Normal unmanipulated hMCs express weak c-fms mRNA by reverse transcriptase–polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR), and its expression increases after stimulation with platelet-derived growth factor-BB (PDGF-BB) and epidermal growth factor (EGF). The expression of c-fms was also demonstrated by flow cytometry with a specific polyclonal antibody. By immunohistochemistry, c-fms was prominently detected in acute glomerulonephritis, IgA nephritis, and lupus nephritis. These results indicate that hMCs express c-fms in active glomerular inflammation and are consistent with mesangial cells acquiring some macrophage-like characteristics in diseased states. (J Lab Clin Med 2001;138:193-9)