These findings support the hypothesis that the coordinated up-regulation of several molecules regulating Mphi recruitment and activation is a fundamental response to renal mass ablation and is dependent on an intact renin-angiotensin system. We speculate that these responses may play a role in the pathogenesis of the ensuing glomerulosclerosis and tubulointerstitial fibrosis.

Our findings show that grade heterogeneity in urothelial carcinoma is characterized by increased MIB-1 labelling, and particularly in the FGFR3 mutant pathway, with homozygous deletions of CDKN2A in low- and high-grade areas. This would suggest that CDKN2A deletion occurs prior to grade progression and supports the current convention to assign the highest grade to urothelial carcinomas with grade heterogeneity.