慢性腎臟疾病的種類非常豐富,但其中有一種慢性腎病可能在兒童階段就開始顯露端倪,但早期癥狀不明顯,常常被家長忽視或被醫(yī)生誤診,導(dǎo)致病情延誤,并且這種疾病也會遺傳,發(fā)展到腎衰竭的風(fēng)險較高,最后只能通過透析和腎移植的方式來維持生命。這種常被稱為腎病中的隱匿殺手的慢性腎病就是Alport綜合征。
Alport綜合征概述
Alport綜合征是一種臨床表現(xiàn)以血尿、蛋白尿、進(jìn)行性腎功能減退為特征,部分患者合并感音神經(jīng)性耳聾、眼部病變等腎外表現(xiàn)的綜合征,所以又稱眼-耳-腎綜合征。由于缺乏大樣本流行病學(xué)數(shù)據(jù),目前該疾病的國內(nèi)發(fā)病率尚不清楚。據(jù)美國報告,Alport 綜合征的基因頻率為 1/10 000~1/5000。男性和女性的發(fā)病率及病情輕重與突變基因類型有關(guān)。X 連鎖遺傳者男女均可發(fā)病,但男性發(fā)病率高于女性,且病情較女性重。
Alport綜合征致病原因
該病是由編碼Ⅳ型膠原α3、α4、α5鏈的COL4A3、COL4A4和COL4A5基因突變導(dǎo)致。α3、α4、α5鏈形成三螺旋結(jié)構(gòu),與其他三螺旋緊密結(jié)合形成腎小球基底膜(GBM)。COL4A5 基因具有一個致病性突變或COL4A3 或者COL4A4基因具有兩個致病性突變,會導(dǎo)致高度有序的GBM逐漸分解,這種變化加速了腎小球硬化,進(jìn)而導(dǎo)致腎功能不全。
圖2 A正常GBM;B-D為Alport綜合征患者GBM(輕-重癥)[1]
Alport綜合征藥物情況
目前,針對Alport綜合征尚無根治或者病因性治療措施。治療策略旨在通過早期藥物治療延緩疾病的進(jìn)展,從而延緩末期腎臟病(ESKD)的發(fā)生,否則需進(jìn)行腎臟替代治療。
《Alport綜合征診治專家共識(2023版)》中指出,腎素-血管緊張素醛固酮系統(tǒng)(RAAS)阻斷劑是目前延緩Alport綜合征腎臟疾病進(jìn)展的首要推薦藥物。
目前關(guān)于Alport綜合征的藥物研發(fā)進(jìn)展如下表,暫無針對該適應(yīng)癥的獲批藥物。
次年,針對構(gòu)建的Alport疾病模型,該實驗室人員使用ASO(反義寡核苷酸)療法誘導(dǎo)COL4A5基因中的外顯子跳躍,從而形成正常的膠原蛋白三聚體,延緩腎衰竭的進(jìn)展。該研究在動物模型上展現(xiàn)出較好的效果,為未來Alport綜合征的藥物開發(fā)提供了新的思路。
Col4A5-R471X相關(guān)驗證與藥效數(shù)據(jù):
Fig.1 Col4a5 mRNA level was measured in Col4a5-R471X male mice and the point mutation of Col4a5 has been verified by sequencing (n=3, male, 7 weeks old).
Abbr. HO, homozygous; WT, wild type.
Fig.2 The results of urine (A) and blood (B) biochemical indicators in Col4a5-R471X mice (n=2 male and 6 female).
Fig.4 Marked glomerular changes are recognized in all (8/8) R471X mice of 23 weeks of age. The renal cortex shows uniform glomerular distribution, with mesangial matrix proliferation and mild sclerosis (yellow arrow). Renal tubular changes include epithelial edema (blue arrow), atrophy (orange arrow), dilation (green arrow), and necrosis (black arrow). Connective tissue proliferation (light green arrow), lymphocyte infiltration (purple arrow), and occasional protein casts (gray arrow) are noted. Such lesions are entirely absent in controls of same age. Scale bar=100 μm; magnification, 200×.
Fig.6 Effects of Ramipril (10mg/kg) on urine (A) and plasma (B) biochemical indicators of male and female Col4a5-R471X mice over a 16-17 weeks treatment period respectively (6 weeks of age at initiation time, n=4-5 male and 4-5 female in each group).
Fig.8 Histopathology changes of Col4a5-R471X mice over a 17 weeks treatment period (6 weeks of age at initiation time, n=4-5 male and 4-5 female in each group). Data are presented as mean and ± SEM
附:病理評價標(biāo)準(zhǔn)[5]
[1]Nozu K, Takaoka Y, Kai H, et al. Genetic background, recent advances in molecular biology, and development of novel therapy in Alport syndrome. Kidney Res Clin Pract. 2020;39(4):402-413. doi:10.23876/j.krcp.20.111
[2]https://www.cma.org.cn/?c=0
[3]Hashikami K, Asahina M, Nozu K, Iijima K, Nagata M, Takeyama M. Establishment of X-linked Alport syndrome model mice with a Col4a5 R471X mutation. Biochem Biophys Rep. 2018;17:81-86. Published 2018 Dec 12. doi:10.1016/j.bbrep.2018.12.003
[4]Yamamura, T., Horinouchi, T., Adachi, T. et al. Development of an exon skipping therapy for X-linked Alport syndrome with truncating variants in COL4A5. Nat Commun 11, 2777 (2020). https://doi.org/10.1038/s41467-020-16605-x
[5]Peter. Mann 等.大鼠和小鼠病理變化術(shù)語及診斷標(biāo)準(zhǔn)的國際規(guī)范(INHAND)[M].楊利峰,周向梅,趙德明主譯.北京:中國農(nóng)業(yè)出版社,2019.
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上海南方模式生物科技股份有限公司(Shanghai Model Organisms Center, Inc.,簡稱"南模生物"),成立于2000年9月,是一家上交所科創(chuàng)板上市高科技生物公司(股票代碼:688265),始終以編輯基因、解碼生命為己任,專注于模式生物領(lǐng)域,打造了以基因修飾動物模型研發(fā)為核心,涵蓋多物種模型構(gòu)建、飼養(yǎng)繁育、表型分析、藥物臨床前評價等多個技術(shù)平臺,致力于為全球高校、科研院所、制藥企業(yè)等客戶提供全方位、一體化的基因修飾動物模型產(chǎn)品解決方案。