The study set out to investigate whether the osteopontin (OPN)-CD44-integrin-receptor-system is differently regulated during nephrogenesis in inborn nephron deficit, a major determinant of human primary hypertension and cardiovascular disease in adult life.
In this study, biopsies from patients with essential hypertension with either minimal ("benign") or severe ("decompensated") tubulointertitial injury were analyzed for the expression of osteopontin, a protein known to modulate tubulointerstitial damage and nitric oxide production.