Evaluation of fas, bcl-2, p53 molecules in glomerulonephritis and correlation with clinical and laboratory findings

ABSTRACT EVALUATION OF FAS, BCL-2, p53 MOLECULES IN GLOMERULONEPHRITIS AND CORRELATION WITH CLINICAL AND LABORATORY FINDINGS Apoptosis plays a crucial role in glomerulonephritis (GN) as a regulatory mechanism. Apoptosis is controlled by expression of various molecules. Fas antigen, BcI-2 and p53 oncoproteins are detected in several steps of apoptosis. The aim of this study was to determine the distribution of Fas antigen, Bcl-2 and p53 proteins in different types of GN by using immunohistochemical method and to evaluate the correlation between the expression of these three molecules and the clinical and laboratuary findings of the patients. We examined the expression of Fas antigen, Bcl-2 and p53 protein in five normal human kidney specimens and 55 kidney biopsies from patients with several types of GN, including 10 membraneous GN, 10 membranoproliferative GN, 10 diffuse proliferative GN, 10 mesangioproliferative GN, five lupus nephritis, five focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, five cresentic GN. In all types of GN, the number of intraglomerular positive cells for Fas, Bcl-2 and p53 was higher than in normal kidney tissues. The number of Fas positive intraglomerular cells has statistically increased in proliferative GN when compared with non-proliferative cases. However the rising of Bcl-2 and p53 positive cells in proliferative GN was indifferent from non-proliferative cases. When we compared Fas, Bcl-2 and p53 with themselves, no significant correlation between the expressions of these molecules and clinical and laboratuary findings was found, except the relation between p53 and BUN levels. These results showed that apoptosis is a complex molecular process and is regulated by several gene expressions. We recommend that these results should be supported with further investigation to understand whether apoptosis contributes to progression or resolution of GN and to correlate the clinical and pathologic findings. The existence of Fas, Bcl-2 and p53 in glomerular tuft in all types of GN may contribute the development new therapeutic strategies. Key words: Apoptosis, Bcl-2, Fas, glomerulonephritis, p53 vn