B cells and tertiary lymphoid organs in renal inflammation

• Published in: Kidney international Vol. 73; no. 5; pp. 533 - 537
• Main Authors: Segerer, S., Schlöndorff, D.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: New York, NY Elsevier Inc 01.03.2008; Nature Publishing; Elsevier Limited
• Subjects: Animals; Antibodies, Monoclonal - therapeutic use; Antibodies, Monoclonal, Murine-Derived; B cells; B-Lymphocytes - immunology; Biological and medical sciences; chemokines; dendritic cells; Dendritic Cells - immunology; Glomerulonephritis; Humans; Immunologic Factors - therapeutic use; Kidney Transplantation; leukocyte recruitment; Lymphocyte Activation; Lymphoid Tissue - immunology; macrophages; Medical sciences; Nephritis, Interstitial - drug therapy; Nephritis, Interstitial - immunology; Nephrology. Urinary tract diseases; Nephropathies. Renovascular diseases. Renal failure; Rituximab; T-Lymphocytes - immunology; Transplantation, Homologous; macrophages; dendritic cells; B cells; chemokines; glomerulonephritis; leukocyte recruitment; Kidney disease; Glomerulonephritis; Dendritic cell; Lymphoid cell; Nephrology; Nephritis; Urinary system disease; Leukocyte; B-Lymphocyte; Urology; Recruitment; Chemokine; Lymphoid organ; Antigen presenting cell; β Cell; Macrophage
• ISSN: 0085-2538; 1523-1755
• DOI: 10.1038/sj.ki.5002734

B lymphocytes are part of the inflammatory cells recruited to the human kidney in various disease settings. B cell infiltrates have been described in renal allografts, in acute and chronic interstitial nephritis, and the most common glomerular diseases like immunoglobulin A (IgA) and membranous nephropathy. These cells are almost exclusively recruited to the tubulointerstitium, but not the glomerular tuft. In addition to diffuse tubulointerstitial infiltrates, B cells together with T cells and dendritic cells form organized nodular aggregates surrounded by neo-lymphatic vessels. The functional significance of these tertiary lymphoid organs remains to be fully defined. Intrarenal B cells may be part of a local system to enhance the immunological response by functioning as antigen presenting cells, and as a source for cytokines promoting T-cell proliferation and lymphatic neoangiogenesis. In this way, they could enhance the local immune response to persisting autoantigens in the tubulointerstitium.