What does effacement of podocyte foot process?
In glomerular diseases, podocytes lose the usual interdigitating pattern of foot processes between neighboring podocytes, and this alteration, known as “foot process effacement,” is regarded as a pathologic indicator of podocyte injury.
What is effacement of podocyte?
Podocyte foot process effacement is characteristic of proteinuric renal diseases. In minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) foot processes are diffusely effaced whereas the extent of effacement varies in focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS).
What is a podocyte?
Podocytes are specialized epithelial cells that cover the outer surfaces of glomerular capillaries. Unique cell junctions, known as slit diaphragms, which feature nephrin and Neph family proteins in addition to components of adherens, tight, and gap junctions, connect adjacent podocyte foot processes.
What are the foot processes on podocytes?
The podocytes have long foot processes called pedicels, for which the cells are named (podo- + -cyte). The pedicels wrap around the capillaries and leave slits between them. Blood is filtered through these slits, each known as a filtration slit, slit diaphragm, or slit pore.
What does effacement mean in medical terms?
Effacement means that the cervix stretches and gets thinner. Dilatation means that the cervix opens. As labor nears, the cervix may start to thin or stretch (efface) and open (dilate). During labor, contractions in your uterus open (dilate) your cervix. They also help move the baby into position to be born.
What is the meaning of effacement?
2 medical : the thinning or obliteration of tissue or narrowing of an internal anatomical space effacement of the spinal subarachnoid space especially : the shortening and thinning of the uterine cervix during labor so that only the external orifice remains.
What are the foot processes on podocytes histology world?
Pedicels are the foot processes on the podocytes. The juxtaglomerular cells secrete renin. The macula densa are specialized cells in the distal convoluted tubule that are sensitive to sodium. The juxtaglomerular cells and macula densa make up the juxtaglomerular apparatus.
How many podocytes do we have?
In this study, median podocyte number per adult glomerulus was 558, with the lowest count being 263 podocytes and the highest count being 983 podocytes (3.7-fold range).
What are the foot processes on podocytes quizlet?
What is podocyte foot process effacement in diabetic nephropathy?
Podocyte foot process effacement is an invariable feature of proteinuric glomerular diseases such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), minimal change disease, immunoglobulin (Ig) A nephropathy, and diabetic nephropathy.1,2,3 Few studies have assessed foot process effacement in a quantitative way.
What is the pathophysiology of Foot process effacement?
The genetic or acquired impairment of podocytes may lead to foot process effacement (podocyte fusion or retraction), a morphological hallmark of proteinuric renal diseases.
What is the role of podocytes in glomerular filtration?
When it comes to glomerular filtration, podocytes play an active role in preventing plasma proteins from entering the urinary ultrafiltrate by providing a barrier comprising filtration slits between foot processes, which in aggregate represent a dynamic network of cellular extensions.
What is the pathophysiology of podocyte depletion?
The process of podocyte depletion correlates with the development of glomerular sclerosis and chronic kidney disease. Focal adhesion complexes that interact with the underlying GBM bind the podocytes within the glomerular structure and prevent their detachment.