The Immune System and Kidney Disease: Basic Concepts and Clinical Implications

Overview

Journal Nat Rev Immunol

Specialty Allergy & Immunology

Date 2013 Sep 17

PMID 24037418

Citations 333

Authors

Christian Kurts

Ulf Panzer

Hans-Joachim Anders

Andrew J Rees

Affiliations

Soon will be listed here.

Abstract

The kidneys are frequently targeted by pathogenic immune responses against renal autoantigens or by local manifestations of systemic autoimmunity. Recent studies in rodent models and humans have uncovered several underlying mechanisms that can be used to explain the previously enigmatic immunopathology of many kidney diseases. These mechanisms include kidney-specific damage-associated molecular patterns that cause sterile inflammation, the crosstalk between renal dendritic cells and T cells, the development of kidney-targeting autoantibodies and molecular mimicry with microbial pathogens. Conversely, kidney failure affects general immunity, causing intestinal barrier dysfunction, systemic inflammation and immunodeficiency that contribute to the morbidity and mortality of patients with kidney disease. In this Review, we summarize the recent findings regarding the interactions between the kidneys and the immune system.

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