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.
Article PDF
Similar content being viewed by others
Avoid common mistakes on your manuscript.
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)
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)
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)
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)
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)
Dunnill, M.S., Halley, W.: Some observations on the quantitative anatomy of the kidney. J. Pathol. 110, 113–121 (1973)
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)
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)
Howell, T.H., Piggot, A.P.: The kidney in old age. J. Gerontol. 3, 124–128 (1948)
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)
Kaplan, C., Pasternack, B., Shah, H. and Gallo, G.: Agerelated incidence of sclerotic glomeruli in human kidneys. Am. J. Pathol. 80, 227–234 (1975)
Olbrich, O., Ferguson, M.H., Robson, J.S., Stewart, C.P.: Renal function in aged subjects. Edinb. Med. J. 57, 117–127 (1950)
Shock, N.W.: Kidney function tests in aged males. Geriatrics 1, 232 (1946)
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)
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights 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
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00454830