Fig 4. The activation of mesangial cells, infiltration of inflammatory cells in glomeruli, and the expression of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) on podocytes in idiopathic membranous nephropathy (MN) (A: αSMA, B: MPO, C: CD3, D: CD68, E-F: VEGF, x600).

In MN, the αSMA-positive activation of mesangial cells (arrow in A) was noted with mesangial ECM accumulation. In glomeruli, although infiltration of MPO-positive neutrophils (B) and CD3-positive T cells (C) was hardly observable, CD68-positive macrophages (arrow in D) frequently infiltrated the glomeruli. Similar degree of expression of VEGF (arrow) was evident on podocytes in both MN cases with (E) and without (F) FSGS lesion.