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Updated: Jun 15, 2026

Identification of the Source of Secreted Proteins in the Kidney by Brefeldin A Injection
Published on: November 10, 2021
Interferon-alpha and -beta in kidney inflammation
Hans-Joachim Anders1, Julia Lichtnekert, Ramanjaneyulu Allam
1Department of Nephrology, Medizinische Poliklinik, University of Munich, Munich, Germany. hjanders@med.uni-muenchen.de
Abstract:
Type I interferons, interferon-alpha and interferon-beta, are central regulators of antiviral immunity and autoimmunity, but little is known about their role in renal inflammation. Recent work documents that viral nucleic acids are potent inducers of interferon-alpha and interferon-beta in mesangial cells and glomerular endothelial cells. This review discusses the available evidence on the role of interferon-alpha and interferon-beta in viral nephropathies, in kidney diseases triggered by extrarenal infections, in lupus nephritis, and in other kidney disease entities. Finally, we propose areas of research that may help unravel the roles of type I interferons and interferon-related genes in the renal field.
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