Proinflammatory Cytokines in Glomerulonephritis

The contribution of cytokines is being currently unravelled in many inflammatory situations. In particular, IL-1 and TNF have ceen shown to influence many aspects of the inflammatory response. Their participation in experimental models of glomerulonephritis (GN) has now been established. Macrophages are a major source of these cytokines, and mesangial cells have now been demonstrated to have the capacity to produce IL-1 and TNF. In experimental anti-GBM GN, augmented glomerular cytokine production is dependent of glomerular macrophage infiltration. Macrophages are also the major contributor to cytokine production in spontaneous proliferative murine models of GN. The functional contribution of these cytokines to glomerular injury in GN is as yet not fully defined