RESUMO
INTRODUCTION: Simple peritoneal fibrosis and encapsulating peritoneal sclerosis (EPS) are important lesions in the peritoneum of patients on peritoneal dialysis (PD). We have previously described a population of podoplanin-positive myofibroblasts in peritoneal biopsies from patients with EPS. Platelet-derived growth factor receptor-ß (PDGFRß) is a marker of pericytes, and PDGFs might be involved in the fibrotic response of the peritoneum. This study aimed to describe PDGFRß in the human peritoneum. METHODS: In this retrospective analysis, we localized PDGFRß in peritoneal biopsies from patients with EPS (n = 6) and patients on PD without signs of EPS (n = 5), and compared them with normal peritoneum (n = 4) and peritoneum from uremic patients (n = 5). Consecutive sections were stained for smooth-muscle actin (SMA) and podoplanin. Slides were scored semiquantitatively by 2 observers blinded to the diagnosis. RESULTS: PDGFRß was expressed by cells of arterial walls in all biopsies. A prominent population of PDGFRß-positive cells was present in the normal peritoneum, which were SMA negative on consecutive sections. In patients on PD, a high number of PDGFRß were also positive for SMA. In EPS, the majority of podoplanin-positive cells were positive for PDGFRß. In peritoneal biopsies from normal and uremic patients, the expression of SMA was mainly restricted to cells of arterial walls. Podoplanin expression was restricted to lymphatic vessels in normal peritoneum, in uremic patients, and in patients on PD without EPS. CONCLUSIONS: As podoplanin-positive myofibroblasts express PDGFRß, these cells might be related to pericytes (rather than other sources of fibroblasts). PDGFRß might turn out to be a therapeutic target in EPS.
