Identification of multinucleated cells in human kidney cortex: A way for tissue repairing?. Issue 5 (15th November 2021)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Fantone, Sonia; Tossetta, Giovanni; Graciotti, Laura; Galosi, Andrea Benedetto; Skrami, Edlira; Marzioni, Daniela; Morroni, Manrico
• Is Part Of: Journal of anatomy. Volume 240:Issue 5(2022)
• Page Start: 985
• Page End: 990
• Publication Date: 2021-11-15
• Subjects: electron microscopy -- kidney -- multinucleate cells -- podocytes -- quantitative analysis; Anatomy -- Periodicals; 571.3
• DOI: 10.1111/joa.13595
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 0021-8782

Abstract

Abstract: The presence of multinucleated cells has never been demonstrated in renal tissue, although, polyploid cells were recently observed in the tubules of normal and pathological human kidney. Therefore, the aim of the present study is to identify and quantify, by electron microscopy, multinucleated cells in the cortical tissue of normal human kidney i.e., in the three compartments of renal tubule: the proximal tubule (PT), the distal tubule (DT), and the collecting duct (CD), as well as, in the glomerulus (podocytes). The percentage of the multinucleated cells observed was 5% (95%CI: 3.6%–6.7%) in renal cortical tubules with distribution in each tubular compartment of 6% in PT, 4% in DT and 3% in CD with no statistically significant difference in the distribution of multinucleated cells according to tubular compartments. Four percent of analysed podocytes (in total 149 podocytes) were multinucleated (95%CI: 1.5%−8.6%). In conclusion, multinucleated cells were identified and quantified in functionally normal kidneys, as previously demonstrated in other organs such as the liver. Abstract : Multinucleate cells were identified and quantified in the cortical renal tubules and podocytes of normal human kidney. Five and four percent of multinucleate cells were detected in renal cortical tubules and podocytes, respectively. We suggest that the renal multinucleate cells can be involved in tissue repairing of the kidney as previously described in the liver.