ABSTRACT
Objective To explore the relationship between vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) concentration in urine and renal vascular damage in children with Henoch Schonlein purpura nephritis (HSPN).Methods The kidney pathological lesion of 78 biopsy-proven HSPN children was assessed with renal vascular damage, glomerular pathological damage, and tubulointerstitial pathological damage semi-quantitative points. The children were divided into 3 groups (light, medium, and heavy group) according to the renal vascular, glomerular, tubulointerstitial, glomerular and tubulointerstitial total pathological points. Blood and urine vascular endothelial growth factor concentration was detected by enzyme linked immunosorbent assay;the localized renal VEGF expression and microvessel density were detected by immunohistochemistry assay in the kidneys. Results The semi-quantitative points of glomerular, tubulointerstitial, renal vascular, and glomerular and tubulointerstitial total points in different groups had significant difference (all P＜0.01);the minor renal vascular damage, the higher light microvessel density, blood and kidney concentration of VEGF, and the VEGF excretion in the urine were also lower in different groups, and there were significant differences (all P＜0.01). Glomerular points were positively related with tubular points, vascular points, kidney total score (r=0.596,0.612, and 0.728;P＜0.05, 0.05, and 0.01 respectively). Microvessel density was highly positively related with blood VEGF and renal VEGF, and negatively rela-ted with urine VEGF (r=0.601, 0.696, and -0.639,all P＜0.01). Conclusion The urinary excretion of VEGF leads to the decrease of local kidney VEGF concentration resulting in the renal vascular injury, which may be the important reason for renal vascular damage and pathology chronic progress in HSPN children.