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Assessment of nephron number and single-nephron glomerular filtration rate in a clinical setting

Hypertension Research volume 44, pages 605–617 (2021)Cite this article

Abstract

Total nephron counts vary widely between individuals and may affect susceptibility to certain diseases, including hypertension and chronic kidney disease. Detailed analyses of whole kidneys collected from autopsy patients remain the only method for accurately counting nephrons in humans, with no equivalent option in living subjects. Current technological advances have enabled estimations of nephron numbers in vivo, particularly the use of total nephron number and whole-kidney glomerular filtration rate to estimate the mean single-nephron glomerular filtration rate. The use of this method would allow physicians to detect dynamic changes in filtration function at the single-nephron level rather than to simply count the number of nephrons that appear to be functioning. Currently available methods for estimating total nephron number in clinical practice have the potential to overcome limitations associated with autopsy analyses and may therefore pave the way for new therapeutic interventions and improved clinical outcomes.

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Funding

This work was supported by a Japan Kidney Foundation research grant and JSPS KAKENHI grant numbers JP25461236 and JP16K0936 (to NT). Neither funding agency had a role in the research design.

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  1. Division of Nephrology and Hypertension, Department of Internal Medicine, The Jikei University School of Medicine, Tokyo, Japan

    Nobuo Tsuboi, Takaya Sasaki, Yusuke Okabayashi, Kotaro Haruhara, Go Kanzaki & Takashi Yokoo

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  1. Nobuo Tsuboi
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  2. Takaya Sasaki
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  3. Yusuke Okabayashi
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  4. Kotaro Haruhara
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  5. Go Kanzaki
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  6. Takashi Yokoo
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Conception and design: NT; paper drafting: NT. Each author contributed relevant intellectual content and ensured that questions pertaining to the accuracy or integrity of any portion of the work were appropriately investigated and resolved.

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Correspondence to Nobuo Tsuboi.

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Tsuboi, N., Sasaki, T., Okabayashi, Y. et al. Assessment of nephron number and single-nephron glomerular filtration rate in a clinical setting. Hypertens Res 44, 605–617 (2021). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-020-00612-y

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/s41440-020-00612-y

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