Tubulointerstitial nephritis and vasculitis

This review discusses recent developments in infectious tubulointerstitial nephritis, including bacterial virulence factors, the interaction between leukocytes and bacteria, and early events in inflammation. In the area of vasculitis, little-studied specificities of antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCAs), including lactoferrin and elastase, plus newly described ANCAs with alpha-enolase specificity are discussed, along with newer studies on the pathogenesis of ANCA-mediated damage and animal models for ANCA-related vasculitis.