Endothelin-1 recently has been found to induce mitogenesis of mesangial cell and to stimulate the production of eicosanoids as well as to be involved in vasoconstriction and control of sodium balance. We committed a retrospective, double-blind
study to
analyze endothelin-1 immunoreactivity in 20 biopsies of patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome by immunoperoxidase staining utilizing anti-endothelin-1. The clinical factors such as age, sex, BUN, serum cretinine, clearance, serum
albumin,
and
24 hr-urine protein did not show any correlation with endothelin-1 immunoreactivity in glomerular endothelium, vascular endothelium and tubular epithelium, Endothelin-1 immunoreactivity seemed to be higher in the biopsies of patients who needed
cyclophosphamide treatment because of steroid resistance or frequent relapse than in those who did not require additional cyclophosmaide therapy during the follow up period of minimum 12 months. These data suggests that endothelin-1 might have a
role in
the pathophyiology of this disease as well as that endothelin-1 immunoreactivity in biopsy would be helpful to predict the requirement for additional cytotoxic agents.
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