Zvaifler Nathan J
School of Medicine, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093-0656, USA.
Arthritis Res Ther. 2006;8(3):210. doi: 10.1186/ar1963. Epub 2006 May 9.
Epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) is a term applied to the process whereby cells undergo a switch from an epithelial phenotype with tight junctions, lateral, apical, and basal membranes, and lack of mobility into mesenchymal cells that have loose interactions with other cells, are non-polarized, motile and produce an extracellular matrix. The importance of this process was initially recognized from a very early step in embryology, but more recently as a potential mechanism for the progression and spread of epithelial cancers. As the sequence of morphological changes has become understood in molecular terms, diseases characterized by alterations in stromal elements and fibrosis are being considered as examples of EMT. This review will focus on the pathogenetic features of immune-mediated renal disease, systemic sclerosis and rheumatoid arthritis that could be explained by EMT.
上皮-间质转化（EMT）是一个用于描述细胞经历转变过程的术语，即从具有紧密连接、侧面、顶端和基底膜且缺乏迁移能力的上皮表型转变为与其他细胞相互作用松散、无极性、具有迁移能力并能产生细胞外基质的间充质细胞。这一过程的重要性最初在胚胎学的早期阶段就得到了认识，但最近被视为上皮癌进展和扩散的潜在机制。随着形态学变化序列在分子层面上得到理解，以基质成分改变和纤维化为特征的疾病正被视为EMT的实例。本综述将聚焦于可由EMT解释的免疫介导性肾病、系统性硬化症和类风湿关节炎的发病机制特征。
