Evaluation of Expression of CD44 and Claudin-1 Markers by Immunohistochemically Methods in Differentiation Between Minimal Change Disease and Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

The present study aimed to examine the expression of CD44 and claudin-1 markers using immunohistochemical methods to differentiate patients with minimal change disease (MCD) from those afflicted with focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).

In this descriptive-analytical study, twenty patients with definite FSGS, twenty patients with FSGS/MCD spectrum, and seven patients with definite MCD were randomly chosen from Imam Reza hospital affiliated with Tabriz University of Medical Sciences. All patients underwent renal biopsy, and then the presence of the immune complex was examined in the obtained samples using immunofluorescence staining. Some renal specimens were paraffin-embedded for the evaluation of the expression levels of CD44 and claudin-1 utilizing the immunohistochemistry method.

Among the twenty samples obtained from patients with definite FSGS, 13 samples (65%) were double-positive for CD44 and claudin-1, 3 specimens (15%) were positive only for claudin-1, and 4 samples (20%) were double-negative for CD44 and claudin-1. The percentages of renal specimens expressing claudin-1 in patients with definite FSGS, FSGS/MCD, and MCD were 80%, 85%, and 0%, respectively. Finally, the percentages of renal samples expressing CD44 in patients with definite FSGS, FSGS/ MCD, and MCD were 65%, 10%, and 0%, respectively.

The results of the present research indicated that the rate of CD44-positive specimens was higher in patients with FSGS while the percentage of claudin-1-positive samples was more frequent in MCD patients compared with FSGS patients.