Skip to main content
Log in

Cortical interstitial tissue and sclerosed glomeruli in the normal human kidney, related to age and sex

A quantitative study

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Virchows Archiv A Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Summary

The relative amount of interstitial cortical tissue was measured by the point count method in kidney tissue from human individuals without renal disease. One series (54 kidneys) consisted of kidneys intended for transplantation and removed immediately after death from persons who died suddenly. The other series (69 kidneys) was obtained by autopsy. In both groups, the percentage of interstitial tissue was dependent on age and followed the equations of regression (1) y=12.45+0.11 x (donor series) and (2) y=23.8+0,10 x (autopsy series). The autopsy values were significantly greater than the donor-kidney-values. There was no difference due to sex. The relative number of sclerotic, obsolescent glomeruli was very small (0–1%) until the age of 40. Thereafter it increased, most markedly in the autopsy series, until it reached values of about 30% in persons more than 80 years old.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arataki, M.: On the postnatal growth of the kidney with special reference to the number and size of the glomeruli (albino rat). Am. J. Anat. 36, 399–436 (1926)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohle, A., Grund, K.E., Mackensen, S., Tolon, M.: Correlations between renal interstitium and level of serum creatinine. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 373, 15–22 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohle, A., Bader, R., Grund, K.E., Mackensen, S., Neunhoeffer, J.: Serum creatinine concentration and renal interstitial volume. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 375, 87–96 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Bohle, A., Glomb, D., Grund, K.E., Mackensen, S.: Correlations between relative interstitial volume of the renal cortex and serum creatinine concentration in minimal changes with nephrotic syndrome and in focal sclerosing glomerulonephritis. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 376, 221–232 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Davies, D.F., Shock, N.W.: Age changes in glomerular filtration rate, effective renal plasma flow, and tubular excretory capacity in adult males. J. Clin. Invest. 29, 496–507 (1950)

    Google Scholar 

  • Dunnill, M.S., Halley, W.: Some observations on the quantitative anatomy of the kidney. J. Pathol. 110, 113–121 (1973)

    Google Scholar 

  • Fischbach, H., Mackensen, S., Grund, K.-E., Kellner, A., Bohle, A.: Relationship between glomerular lesions, serum creatinine and interstitial volume in membrano-proliferative glomerulonephritis. Klin. Wschr. 55, 603–608 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Geigy, Scientific Tables, 7. ed., pp. 174–179 Basel 1977

  • Hestbech, J., Hansen, H.E., Amdisen, A., Olsen, S.: Chronic renal lesions following long-term treatment with lithium. Kidney International, 12, 205–213 (1977)

    Google Scholar 

  • Howell, T.H., Piggot, A.P.: The kidney in old age. J. Gerontol. 3, 124–128 (1948)

    Google Scholar 

  • Jepsen, F.L., Mortensen, P.B.: Interstitial fibrosis of the renal cortex in minimal change lesion and its correlation with renal function. A quantitative study. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 383, 265–270 (1979)

    Google Scholar 

  • Kaplan, C., Pasternack, B., Shah, H. and Gallo, G.: Agerelated incidence of sclerotic glomeruli in human kidneys. Am. J. Pathol. 80, 227–234 (1975)

    Google Scholar 

  • Olbrich, O., Ferguson, M.H., Robson, J.S., Stewart, C.P.: Renal function in aged subjects. Edinb. Med. J. 57, 117–127 (1950)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shock, N.W.: Kidney function tests in aged males. Geriatrics 1, 232 (1946)

    Google Scholar 

  • Shock, N.W.: Age changes in renal function. Gowdry's: Problems of ageing. Lansing, 3rd edition, 1946

  • Wald, H.: The weight of normal adult human kidneys and its variability. Arch. Path. 23, 493–500 (1937)

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Kappel, B., Olsen, S. Cortical interstitial tissue and sclerosed glomeruli in the normal human kidney, related to age and sex. Virchows Arch. A Path. Anat. and Histol. 387, 271–277 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454830

Download citation

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454830

Key words

Navigation