We have reported that children with biopsy-proven minimal change disease (MCD) express CD80 (also known as B7.1) in their podocytes and excrete high levels of CD80 in their urine during active nephrotic syndrome.
This interaction implies a mechanism of slit diaphragm disruption and possible use of small molecules that disrupt CD80-Neph1 interaction as a potential for treatment of nephrotic syndrome associated with CD80 upregulation.