What is a cyst and how is it formed?
Two basic processes simultaneously occur in the formation of cysts:
Cell proliferation
Fluid Secretion
1 cell divides into 2 cells
then these 2 cells divides into 4 cells...
Sodium, chloride and water move into cyst
Cell proliferation means that a kidney cell carrying the PKD
mutation grows and then divides into two identical daughter cells.
This process continues, one cell into two, two cells into four, and so
on, to form the wall of the cyst. Since the cells being formed are all
identical, this is called clonal growth. Eventually the cyst becomes
large enough and pinches off from the kidney tubule.
Fluid secretion is the process by which the cyst fills with fluid.
Cellular mechanisms move sodium and chloride ions from the
cell into the cyst, and water follows, forming the cyst fluid.
1
1
2
2
4
4
Fluid
pkdcure.org
1.800.PKD.CURE
Fluid