Advanced oxidation protein products: a causative link between oxidative stress and podocyte depletion.

Advanced oxidation protein products (AOPPs), a protein biomarker of increased oxidative stress, are elevated in uremic patients. Zhou et al. demonstrate that chronic administration of AOPPs induces podocyte apoptosis and proteinuria in normal rats via a cascade of signaling events. This study for the first time establishes a causative link between oxidative stress and podocyte depletion and could have broad implications in our understanding of the pathogenic mechanism of proteinuria.