title: Immunological mechanisms in glomerulonephritis. A short review and analysis of peripheral mononuclear cell subsets in IgA nephropathy and membranous glomerulonephritis.
abstract: Recent advances in immunology and histological techniques suggest that besides humoral also cellular mechanisms participate in the development of glomerular disease. The purpose of this study was to examine whether patients with IgA nephropathy or membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) show a disturbance of the immunoregulatory system in the light of peripheral T lymphocyte subset analysis. Mononuclear leukocytes were analysed with monoclonal antibodies (OKT 11, 4 and 8, OKM 1, Leu 7). Two categories of findings, depending on the clinical picture, were obtained in both types of nephritis. Of 16 IgA nephropathy patients, eight with more serious clinical symptoms had a significantly lower OKT4/OKT8 ratio (mean +/- s.d.: 1.13 +/- 0.37) than controls, p less than 0.01. This was mainly due to an increase of OKT 8 positive cells. Patients with a mild clinical picture had a normal OKT4/OKT8 ratio. An equally low OKT4/OKT8 ratio (1.22 +/- 0.44) was observed in seven MGN patients with nephrotic range proteinuria. Some of the patients with a high percentage of OKT 8 positive cells had a high percentage of Leu 7 positive cells, too. These results suggest disturbed immunoregulation in a group of patients with IgA nephropathy or MGN. However, nephrosis may have influenced results in the MGN group. The cause and prognostic significance of the decreased OKT4/OKT8 ratio is uncertain at the present time.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000276:immunology*; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000276:immunology*; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007958:Leukocyte Count; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D013601:T-Lymphocytes / Q000145:classification* / Q000276:immunology
chemical_list: D000911:Antibodies, Monoclonal