Epigenetic markers of podocyte repair in children with primary nephrotic syndrome

Abstract

In terms of a glomerular injury research model, idiopathic nephrotic syndrome is the most prominent example. Worldwide, nephrotic syndrome is a socially significant disease and is considered one of the most common glomerulopathies in childhood, leading to the development of chronic kidney disease, and in the case of progression of the disease, to the formation of terminal chronic renal failure. This article presents data from our own study and discusses epigenetic markers of podocyte repair in children with primary nephrotic syndrome. We noted that in patients with steroid-sensitive variants of nephrotic syndrome, the expression of the WT1 (podocyte transcription factor) and NPHS1 (the gene encoding nephrin — a transmembrane protein that is a structural component of the slit diaphragm of the podocyte) genes is significantly higher than in the control group and in children with steroid resistant nephrotic syndrome. The data obtained open up prospects for the development of a personalized approach to the management of children with primary nephrotic syndrome by determining the markers of the staging and/or severity of the pathological process occurring in the glomeruli. Currently, genomic and post-genomic technologies are increasingly being used in clinical practice, which will eventually lead to the development of personalized diagnostic panels based on innovative technologies.