Mesangial anionic sites are decreased in human focal glomerular sclerosis.

We studied the mesangial anionic sites in two patients with focal glomerular sclerosis (FGS), using polyethyleneimine as a cationic probe. The mesangial negative charge in the FGS patients was less than that in three control patients. The decrease in negative charge in FGS concerned the central, paramesangial, as well as the subendothelial region of the mesangium; the decrease was most pronounced in the central region. It is proposed that loss of mesangial negative charge may have pathogenic significance in FGS.