Vol. 9, No 1, 2002 pp. 79 - 81
UC 616.61-004 616.612
TUBULOEPITHELIAL - MYOFIBROBLAST TRANSDIFFERENTIATION
- POSSIBLE PATHOGENIC MECHANISM OF INTERSTITIAL FIBROSIS
IN BALKAN ENDEMIC NEPHROPATHY
Jasmina Marković-Lipkovski
Institute of Pathology, Medical School, University of Belgrade, Serbia
Summary. Balkan endemic nephropathy (BEN) is a chronic tubulointerstitial
disease of unknown etiology. The main morphological feature is interstitial
fibrosis and tubular atrophy with absence of inflammatory infiltration.
The pathogenesis of BEN is also obscure. Since tubular epithelial cells
in the early phase of disease express vimentin as mesenchymal marker in
addition to cytokeratin, we could speculate that transdifferentiation of
tubular epithelial cells into myofibroblast could be responsible for causing
interstitial fibrosis in BEN. Further studies are necessary to support
this hypothesis.
Key words: Balcan endemic nephropathy, renal interstitial fibrosis,
transdifferentiation, myofibroblast
