Late expression of tumor necrosis factor-alpha is markedly depressed in patients with IgA nephropathy.
In this study we demonstrate that peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of patients with IgA nephropathy (IgAN) express mRNA for tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNF-alpha) at a significantly lower frequency after stimulation for 24 hours with pokeweed mitogen than do PBMC of a control population. These differences were not seen in patient samples stimulated for only 3 hours. To identify the cells responsible for TNF-alpha expression after overnight mitogen stimulation, we performed reverse transcriptase polymerase chain reaction analysis after preparative flow cytometry of PBMC labelled with fluorescent monoclonal antibodies. After stimulation for 24 hours, PBMC of all patients tested displayed no detectable TNF-alpha mRNA; in the control PBMC, TNF-alpha mRNA was present in CD4+ and CD8+ T cells, as well as in CD19+ B cells in some samples. These results suggest that diminished expression of TNF-alpha by T cells may play a role in the pathogenesis of IgAN.
Bull
R L
RL
Department of Microbiology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, 35294, USA.
Julian
B A
BA
Jackson
S
S
D000328:Adult; D016207:Cytokines / Q000096:biosynthesis / Q000235:genetics; D005260:Female; D005434:Flow Cytometry; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000276:immunology*; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D007963:Leukocytes, Mononuclear / Q000276:immunology; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D008297:Male; D012333:RNA, Messenger / Q000032:analysis / Q000235:genetics; D020133:Reverse Transcriptase Polymerase Chain Reaction; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha / Q000096:biosynthesis* / Q000235:genetics
D016207:Cytokines; D012333:RNA, Messenger; D014409:Tumor Necrosis Factor-alpha