Das. Jenkins et al., INTRARENAL LOCALIZATION OF INTERLEUKIN-1-BETA MESSENGER-RNA IN CRESCENTIC GLOMERULONEPHRITIS, Nephrology, dialysis, transplantation, 9(9), 1994, pp. 1228-1233
Il-1 beta is a potent proinflammatory peptide, and induces expression
of other cytokines which are involved in the immune response. Kidney b
iopsies from nine patients with crescentic GN were studied by in-situ
hybridization to determine the site of expression of Il-1 beta mRNA. B
iopsies from nine patients with non-proliferative renal disease were s
tudied as negative controls, and tonsillar tissue was studied as a pos
itive control. An Il-1 beta cDNA probe was P-32-labelled by random pri
mers and hybridized to paraffin-embedded tissue sections after de-waxi
ng. Il-1 beta mRNA was expressed in tonsil, but not in negative contro
ls. Positive mRNA expression was seen in four of the nine crescentic b
iopsies. This was observed in interstitial cells with morphological ch
aracteristics of macrophages adjacent to tubular cells, in cells withi
n the glomerular tuft, and in tubular epithelial cells. Il-1 beta mRNA
is expressed in renal tissue in crescentic GN. Tubular and interstiti
al expression of Il-1 beta mRNA appears of equal prominence to glomeru
lar expression. Intrarenal cytokine synthesis may be involved in the p
athogenesis of crescentic glomerulonephritis.