Table 3.

Overview of the differential expression of EMT-related molecules and possible signaling pathways in human renal fibrogenesis

Case No.	Epithelial biomarker	Mesenchymal biomarkers		Signaling molecules (Inducers and mediators)						Pathway involved in type II EMT
	E-cadherin	Vimentin	Fibronectin	TGF-β1	p-Smad2/3	β1-integrin	p38 MAPK	WNT5B	β-catenin
1*	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
2*	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
3*	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
4*	+	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-	-
5	-	+++	+	++	++	+	-	++	++	1, 2, 3
6	-	++	-	-	-	-	-	+++	++	3
7	-	++	+	+	+	+	-	-	+	1, 2
8	-	+++	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
9	-	++	-	-	-	-	-	++	+	3
10	-	++	-	+	+	+	-	+++	++	1, 2, 3
11	-	++	-	+	+	++	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
12	-	+++	-	+	++	++	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
13	-	++	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
14	-	++	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
15	-	+++	++	++	++	++	-	-	+	1, 2
16	-	+++	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
17	-	++	-	-	-	-	-	+	+	3
18	-	++	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	1, 2, 3
19	-	+++	-	-	-	-	-	+	+	3
20	-	++	-	+	+	+	-	++	+	1, 2, 3
21	-	+	-	-	-	-	-	+	+	3
22	-	++	-	-	-	-	-	++	+	3
23	-	++	-	+	+	+	-	+	+	1, 2, 3

No, number;

^*control;

TGF-β1, transforming growth factor-β1; p-Smad2/3, phosphorylated-Smad2/3; MAPK, mitogen-activated protein kinase; EMT, epithelial to mesenchymal transition. In cases of E-cadherin stain, positive (+), preserved membrane expression of E-cadherin; negative (–), loss or reduced membrane expression of E-cadherin in tubular epithelial cells. In cases of vimentin, fibronectin, TGF-β1, p-Smad2/3, β1 integrin, p38 MAPK, and WNT5B stains, -, no immunostaining; +, less than 10% immunostaining; ++, 10% to 25% immunostaining; +++, 25% to 50% immunostaining, and ++++, greater than 50% immunostaining. For β-catenin, the same scale for nuclear staining was applied. In cases of involved pathway, 1, TGF-β/Smad; 2, integrin/ILK; 3, wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway.