Profiling dendritic cells subsets in renal tissue of patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis

Dendritic cells (DCs) have been speculated to be involved in the pathogenesis of glomerular diseases. However, the numbers and distribution of DC subsets in the kidneys of patients with crescentic glomerulonephritis (CrGN) have not been clearly elucidated.

A total of 26 patients with biopsy-proven CrGN were enrolled. Indirect immunofluorescence staining was used to quantify DC subsets in renal specimens. Double staining of HLA with CD11C, BDCA2 and CD209 respectively was performed to detect DC subsets. The correlation between DC subsets infiltrated in the kidney and clinical and pathological parameters was investigated.

DC subsets were predominantly present in the kidney interstitium, particularly in the peri-glomerular area. The numbers of CD11C⁺DCs, BDCA2⁺DCs and CD209⁺DCs increased in the patients with CrGN and varied among different types of CrGN. Though significant correlation between DC subsets and the percentage of crescents had not been identified, a notable increase in the number of CD11C⁺DCs were observed with the chronic development of crescents. Furthermore, patients with severe tubulointerstitial injury exhibited significantly more infiltrations of CD11C⁺DCs, BDCA2⁺DCs and CD209⁺DCs. Moreover, the numbers of CD11C⁺DCs and BDCA2⁺DCs were found to correlate with the level of serum C3.

Patients with CrGN showed increased kidney infiltration of DC subsets, primarily localized in the renal interstitium and peri-glomerular region. The correlation between DC subsets and fibrosis of crescent and severe tubulointerstitial injury implied a potential involvement of DCs in the development of CrGN.