Chemokines and renal inflammation

The appearance of inflammatory cells at the site of tissue injury is a hallmark of almost any renal disease. Infiltrating leukocytes mediate the initiation and progression of damage by direct cytotoxicity, the secretion of soluble factors, or by the regulation of the immune response. Particularly mononuclear phagocytes are present in almost any kidney disease and contribute to the development of injury (1, 2). Before leukocytes can exert their effects on renal damage or repair, they have to reach the site of injury. In the recent years, it has become clear that a group of small proteins called chemokines play a crucial role in the regulation of leukocyte trafficking and activation. In this review, we summarize the existent evidence that chemokines may act in the initiation of renal inflammation.