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World J Stem Cells. Aug 26, 2026; 18(8): 120694
Published online Aug 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.120694
Published online Aug 26, 2026. doi: 10.4252/wjsc.120694
Very small embryonic-like stem cells: A predictor synergizing with complement and inflammatory factors for immunoglobulin A nephropathy prognosis
Cheng-Li Lou, Xiu-Qin Xu, Xiang-Jing Wang, Xiao-Ping Fan, Bo Feng, Ping-Xin Hu, Yi-Jing Zhou, Department of Nephrology, Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang Province, China
Ke-Xin Ren, Beijing Anzhen Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100029, China
Co-first authors: Cheng-Li Lou and Ke-Xin Ren.
Author contributions: Lou CL and Ren KX contribute equally to this work and are co-first authors. Lou CL, Xu XQ, and Ren KX conducted the majority of experiments and wrote the manuscript; Wang XJ designed the study and served as a scientific advisor and guarantor; Fan XP corrected the manuscript; Feng B was involved in applying the analytical tools; Hu PX and Zhou YJ participated in the collection of human material.
AI contribution statement: The authors confirm that no generative AI or AI-assisted technologies were used in the preparation of this manuscript.
Supported by Zhejiang Provincial Traditional Chinese Medicine Science and Technology Program, No. 2026ZL0854.
Institutional review board statement: This study was approved by Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine (Approval No. JXTCM-IRB-2025-091), and the study followed the ethical guidelines of the Declaration of Helsinki.
Informed consent statement: Informed consent was obtained from all study participants.
Conflict-of-interest statement: All the authors report no relevant conflicts of interest for this article.
Data sharing statement: No additional data are available.
Corresponding author: Yi-Jing Zhou, Chief Physician, Department of Nephrology, Jiaxing Hospital of Traditional Chinese Medicine, No. 1501 Zhongshan East Road, Jiaxing 314001, Zhejiang Province, China. zyj13967332522@163.com
Received: March 27, 2026
Revised: May 1, 2026
Accepted: June 18, 2026
Published online: August 26, 2026
Processing time: 145 Days and 21.2 Hours
Revised: May 1, 2026
Accepted: June 18, 2026
Published online: August 26, 2026
Processing time: 145 Days and 21.2 Hours
Core Tip
Core Tip: As a key stem cell indicator, very small embryonic-like stem cells, combined with complement alternative pathway indices and inflammatory biomarker tumor necrosis factor-α, are independent predictors of end-stage renal disease in immunoglobulin A nephropathy patients. Their combined detection yields high predictive accuracy, outperforming single indicators and enabling reliable risk stratification. High very small embryonic-like stem cells correlate with poor renal prognosis, and these serological markers predict outcomes independent of Oxford classification, providing a non-invasive alternative to renal biopsy and enriching individualized intervention biomarkers.