Circulating levels of soluble forms of urokinase-type plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR)
are generally elevated in sera from children and adults with FSGS compared with levels in
healthy persons or those with other types of kidney disease. In mice lacking the gene
encoding uPAR, forced increases in suPAR concentration result in FSGS-like glomerular
lesions and proteinuria. However, whether overexpression of suPAR, per se, contributes to
the pathogenesis of FSGS in humans remains controversial. We conducted an independent …