URINARY LEVELS OF CHEMOKINES (MCAF MCP-1, IL-8) REFLECT DISTINCT DISEASE ACTIVITIES AND PHASES OF HUMAN-IGA NEPHROPATHY/

Leukocytes have been implicated to be involved in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy (IgAN). To clarify the precise molecular mechanism of recruitment and activation of leukocytes in the subgroups of IgAN, lat ent, acute, and chronic types, we studied monocyte chemotactic and act ivating factor (MCAF/MCP-1) and interleukin (IL)-8 in urines and renal expression of these cytokines, Urinary MCAF levels were significantly higher in chronic type, and were correlated with pathological progres sive factors such as mesangial proliferation and interstitial cellular infiltration associated with CD68-positive macrophage, On the other h and, urinary IL-8 elevated only in acute type and were correlated with glomerular endocapillary proliferation and the degree of hematuria, I n immunohistochemical study, IL-8 was mainly observed in glomeruli, ot herwise MCAF in vascular endothelial cells, tubular epithelial cells, and infiltrated mononuclear cells in the interstitial lesions, These o bservations demonstrated that MCAF and IL-8 were differentially expres sed in kidneys with IgAN, and their subtypes, and suggest that chemoki nes may be involved in the pathogenesis of IgAN at distinct phases or pathological lesions, possibly through the recruitment and activation of a distinct type of leukocyte.