Abstract
Background: Ptch1 and Ptch2 are expressed in tubular epithelium and stromal cells adjacent to the UPJ. They mediate inhibition of Smoothened, a transmembrane protein expressed on the cell surface. If the pathway is disturbed, UPJOcan occur. This aim study aimed to determine the expression of Ptch1 (P1) and Ptch2 (P2) in stenotic segments in children with congenital ureteropelvic junction obstruction (UPJO) compared with normal control subjects. Methods: Stenotic segments of ureter tissues were obtained from 20 UPJO patients.UPJO caused by other pathogenies, such as vessel and ureteral polyps, were excluded. The control ureter specimens were obtained from 10 patients with Wilm’s tumor, and the tissues were confirmed histologically to be unaffected. Immunofluorescence, western blot and real-time PCR were used to investigate the expression of P1 and P2. Statistical methods were used to find the differences between the two groupsResults: P1 and P2 were identified in the cytoplasm of smooth muscle in two groups through immunohistochemistry. However, there were no statistical differences between the two groups in P1 and P2 with immunohistochemistry (P=0.31 and P=0.3, respectively). There were also no statistical differences with western blot (P=0.75 and P=0.9, respectively) and real-time PCR (P=0.52 and P=0.45, respectively). However, with the immunofluorescence it was found that red-stained P1 were diffused in the controls group, but were mainly located in the intracellular perinuclear compartment of smooth muscle cells in UPJO. Conclusions: The expression of P1 and P2 between the two groups had no statistical significant. P1 were mainly located in the intracellular perinuclear compartment of smooth muscle cells in UPJO. The P1 pathway might be disturbed by the abnormal distribution rather than the quantity, which might be one probable pathogenesis of UPJO.
Fibroepithelial ureteral polyps as a cause of ureteropelvic junction obstruction in children: A case report
