Fig. 3
Methods for interstitial fibrosis assessment: Various methods are available for assessing interstitial fibrosis. Renal biopsy samples are routinely prepared for light, immunofluorescent, and electron microscopic studies. For clinical evaluation of renal fibrosis, H&E, trichrome, Periodic acid–Schiff (PAS), picrosirius red, and collagen III immunohistochemical (IHC) stainings are commonly used. Other methods have been used for research only purposes to study renal fibrosis, such as electron microscopy, microRNA analysis, or transcriptomics or proteomics. However, these methods are not yet used for routine clinical evaluation of renal fibrosis