title: Regulatory T cells in immune-mediated renal disease.
abstract: Regulatory T cells (Tregs) are CD4+ T cells that can suppress immune responses by effector T cells, B cells and innate immune cells. This review discusses the role that Tregs play in murine models of immune-mediated renal diseases and acute kidney injury and in human autoimmune kidney disease (such as systemic lupus erythematosus, anti-glomerular basement membrane disease, anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody-associated vasculitis). Current research suggests that Tregs may be reduced in number and/or have impaired regulatory function in these diseases. Tregs possess several mechanisms by which they can limit renal and systemic inflammatory immune responses. Potential therapeutic applications involving Tregs include in vivo induction of Tregs or inducing Tregs from naïve CD4+ T cells or expanding natural Tregs ex vivo, to use as a cellular therapy. At present, the optimal method of generating a phenotypically stable pool of Tregs with long-lasting suppressive effects is not established, but human studies in renal transplantation are underway exploring the therapeutic potential of Tregs as a cellular therapy, and if successful may have a role as a novel therapy in immune-mediated renal diseases.
authors.affiliation: Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria.|Department of Nephrology, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Joanna R
authors.initials: JR
authors.lastname: Ghali
authors.affiliation: Centre for Kidney Research, Children's Hospital at Westmead, The University of Sydney, Westmead, New South Wales, Australia.
authors.forename: Yuan Min
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Wang
authors.affiliation: Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria.|Department of Nephrology, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: Stephen R
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Holdsworth
authors.affiliation: Centre for Inflammatory Diseases, Department of Medicine, Monash University, Melbourne, Victoria.|Department of Nephrology, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria.|Department of Paediatric Nephrology, Monash Medical Centre, Melbourne, Victoria.
authors.forename: A Richard
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Kitching
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D001327:Autoimmune Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D015551:Autoimmunity; D004195:Disease Models, Animal; D006801:Humans; D007108:Immune Tolerance; D007167:Immunotherapy / Q000379:methods; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000628:therapy; D008213:Lymphocyte Activation; D051379:Mice; D010641:Phenotype; D050378:T-Lymphocytes, Regulatory / Q000276:immunology* / Q000378:metabolism / Q000473:pathology / Q000637:transplantation
keywords: acute kidney injury; anti-cytoplasmic neutrophil antibody-associated vasculitis; anti-glomerular basement membrane disease; lupus erythematosus; regulatory T cell; systemic