Abstract
In children with renal tubular disorders the existence of retarded histological features of glomerular maturation has been suggested by our group. However, no valuable information is available on the frequency of histopathologically immature glomeruli in the normal kidney. For this reason we established a simple, semiquantitative definition of postnatal glomerular development: immature glomeruli (with at least half of the circumference of capillary loops densely lined with cuboidal epithelial cells), intermediate glomeruli (circumference of capillary loops lined with at least five adjoining cuboidal cells), and mature glomeruli. This definition was applied in a set of 71 normal kidneys from ages birth to 5 years. The relative frequency of the mentioned stages of glomerular maturation was strongly age dependent. In comparing the patients data with the normal findings it was possible to separate patients with the finding of disproportionately high fractions of immature glomeruli, provided the right age at biopsy is chosen. It is therefore concluded that the previous suspicion of late glomerular maturation may be validated in at least in some bioptic specimens.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Aoki A (1966) Development of the human renal glomerulus. I. Differentiation of the filtering membrane. Anat Rec 155:339–352
Autio-Harmainen H, Rapola J (1981) Renal pathology of fetuses with congenital nephrotic syndrome of the Finnish type. Nephron 29:158–163
Bard JBL, Woolf AS (1992) Nephrogenesis and the development of renal disease. Nephrol Dial Transplant 7: 563–572
Bettex M, Oetliker OH, Zimmermann A, Kehrer B (1987) Urinary calculi in association with glomerular immaturity. Eur Urol 13:182–185
Engelhardt G, Zimmermann A, D'Apuzzo V, Oetliker OH (1987) Extensive glomerular immaturity associated with renal tubular acidosis, nephrogenic diabetes insipidus and nephrocalcinosis. Eur Urol 13: 186–192
Gruenwald P, Popper H (1940) The histogenesis and physiology of the renal glomerulus in early postnatal life: histological examinations. J Urol 43: 452–459
Huttunen NP, Rapola J, Vilska J, Hallman N (1980) Renal pathology in congenital nephrotic syndrome of finnish type: a quantitative light microscopic study on 50 patients. Int J Pediatr Nephrol 1:10–16
Lorentz WB, Trillo AA (1983) Neonatal renal failure and glomerular immaturity. Clin Nephrol 19:154–159
Potter EL, Thierstein ST (1943) Glomerular development in the kidney as an index of fetal maturity. J Pediatr 22:695–707
Spitzer A, Brandis M (1974) Functional and morphologic maturation of the superficial nephrons. J Clin Invest 53:279–297
Vernier RL, Birch-Andersen A (1962) Studies of the human fetal kidney: I. Development of the glomerulus. J Pediatr 60:754–768
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Thóny, H.C., Luethy, C.M., Zimmermann, A. et al. Histological features of glomerular immaturity in infants and small children with normal or altered tubular function. Eur J Pediatr 154 (Suppl 4), S65–S68 (1995). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02191509
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02191509