2014 Volume 26 Issue 2 Pages 245-249
Since viral infections may trigger the development of inflammatory renal disease or worsening of preexisting renal disease, recent studies have focused on the involvement of toll-like receptors and their signaling pathways in the inflammatory processes of glomerular cells. Based on our recent experimental studies using human mesangial cells treated with polyinosinic-polycytidylic acid (poly IC), a synthetic analogue of viral dsRNA, we hypothesize that mRNA expression of proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines induced by poly IC in urinary sediment in patients with IgA immunocomplexmediated glomerulonephritis may reflect regional inflammation in the inflamed kidney. Twenty children with newly diagnosed IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (PN) were enrolled in this pilot study. We examined mRNA expression of poly IC-inducible proinflammatory cytokines/chemokines in urinary sediment obtained from study participants. As a result, mRNA expression of presumptive functional molecule, fractalkine/CX3CL1, in urinary sediment significantly reflected regional inflammation in selected patients with IgAN and PN. We therefore believe that measurement of mRNA expressions of cytokines/chemokines in urinary sediment could be used as a noninvasive method to predicate disease activity of glomerulonephritis in children, although this remains to be determined in future studies.