Role of T cells and dendritic cells in glomerular immunopathology

Inappropriate T cell responses cause the four classical types of hypersensitivity immune reactions. All of these can target the kidney and cause distinct forms of glomerulonephritis. CD4(+) T cells can mediate glomerular immunopathology by cytokine secretion, by activating effector cells such as macrophages or by inducing auto-antibodies or immune-complexes. Cytotoxic CD8(+) T cell responses and failure of regulatory T cells may represent two additional types of anti-renal hypersensitivity. T cell activation is critically dependent on dendritic cells (DC), whose role in renal disease appears to be protective, but underlying mechanisms are largely unknown. In this paper, we summarized mechanistic information from rodent models on the roles of DC and T cells in glomerular immunopathology.