Autio-Harmainen H, Väänänen R, Rapola J
Kidney Int. 1981 Dec;20(6):747-52. doi: 10.1038/ki.1981.206.
Kidneys from 5 normal fetuses and 3 with congenital nephrotic syndrome gestational age of 13 to 24 weeks, were studied under a scanning electron microscope. Differentiation of the visceral epithelial cells was observed in normally developing glomeruli. The originally cuboidal, smooth epithelial cells first flattened and acquired cytoplasmic buds on the cell margin. The buds gradually grew longer and branched out to form regular interdigitating foot processes. In the most mature glomeruli the majority of the visceral epithelial cells were trabeculated and the cytoplasmic processes were tightly wound around the glomerular capillaries. In the glomeruli of specimens from fetuses with congenital nephrotic syndrome the epithelial differentiation was different. The individual epithelial cells varied in size and shape and formed irregular cell groups. The cytoplasmic processes of visceral epithelial cells were shortened and flattened. Also, there was a marked loss of interdigitation of adjacent processes. The findings confirm previous transmission electron microscopic observations of pathological foot processes in glomeruli of fetuses with congenital nephrotic syndrome and show that the differentiation of the visceral epithelial cells is abnormal prior to the formation of the final interdigitating processes.
对5例正常胎儿和3例患有先天性肾病综合征、孕龄为13至24周胎儿的肾脏进行了扫描电子显微镜研究。在正常发育的肾小球中观察到脏层上皮细胞的分化。最初呈立方形的光滑上皮细胞首先变扁平，并在细胞边缘获得胞质芽。这些芽逐渐变长并分支，形成规则的指状交叉足突。在最成熟的肾小球中，大多数脏层上皮细胞呈小梁状，胞质突起紧密缠绕在肾小球毛细血管周围。在患有先天性肾病综合征胎儿标本的肾小球中，上皮分化有所不同。单个上皮细胞大小和形状各异，形成不规则的细胞群。脏层上皮细胞的胞质突起缩短变扁平。此外，相邻突起的指状交叉明显减少。这些发现证实了先前关于先天性肾病综合征胎儿肾小球病理性足突的透射电子显微镜观察结果，并表明在最终指状交叉突起形成之前，脏层上皮细胞的分化就已异常。
