PURPOSE: Tubulointerstitial hypoxia in the kidney is considered a hallmark of injury and a mediator of the progression of tubulointerstitial fibrosis. Hypoxia-inducible factor-1alpha (HIF-1alpha), a master transcription factor in cellular adaptation to hypoxia, regulates a wide variety of genes, some of which are closely associated with tissue fibrosis. The present study set out to characterize urinary HIF-1alpha expressions in patients with lupus nephritis (LN) and to explore whether urinary HIF-1alpha expressions are associated with histologic chronicity changes and renal function. MATERIALS AND METHODS: Urinary HIF-1alpha levels were measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays in 42 patients with LN and in 30 healthy controls. Activity and chronicity indexes as well as tubular HIF-1alpha expressions were analyzed for each specimen. RESULTS: Urinary HIF-1alpha levels were higher in LN patients than in healthy controls (3.977+/-1.696 vs. 2.153+/-0.554 ng/mL, p<0.001) and were associated with histologic chronicity indexes (r=0.463, p<0.01) and eGFR (r=-0.324, p<0.05). However, urinary HIF-1alpha levels showed no correlation with histologic activity indexes, anti-dsDNA, ANA, complement 3 and 4 levels, proteinuria, systemic lupus erythematosis disease activity index, and WHO pathological classification (p>0.05). CONCLUSION: Urinary HIF-1alpha levels were elevated in LN patients and were associated with histologic chronicity changes and renal function, indicating that HIF-1alpha might contribute to histologic chronicity in LN.
Adolescent ; Adult ; Enzyme-Linked Immunosorbent Assay ; Female ; Humans ; Hypoxia-Inducible Factor 1, alpha Subunit/*urine ; Kidney/metabolism/pathology ; Lupus Nephritis/*urine ; Male ; Young Adult

Objective To investigate the current situation of undergraduate nursing students ’ ability of communication with standardized patients (SP), and explore the effect of SP and student as SP (SSP) on the undergraduate nursing students ’ ability of communication.Methods Ten SP, ten SSP and sixty undergraduate nursing students were chosen , the undergraduate nursing students ’ ability of the communication was evaluated by the communication skills assessment scale .Results The undergraduate nursing students ’ ability of the communication with SP and SSP was at medium level , and the score was (2.89 ±0.52).The total score of evaluating the undergraduate nursing students ’ ability of the communication by SP was (2.36 ±0.35), and the score by SSP was (2.36 ±0.35), and the difference was statistically significant (t=-0.43,P<0.05). Conclusions The undergraduate nursing students ’ ability of the communication with SP should be evaluated from various angles in order to reduce the error evaluation .