INFLAMMATORY CELLS IN RENAL PATHOLOGY

To gain better insight in the regeneration process responsible for the functional and morphological recovery after acute renal failure (ARF) is one major goal in the field of Nephrology. Results opposing endoge neously produced polypeptide growth factors to be the mediators of thi s process accumulate. Indeed, the early decrease of renal epidermal gr owth factor (EGF) and insulin-like growth factor-1 (IGF-1) in differen t experimental models of ARF has been frequently shown at both the mRN A and protein level, while other growth factors could not be shown to increase. Moreover, the inaccessability of the upregulated receptors f or endogeneously produced growth factors, has encouraged research to s eek alternative origins for the signals inducing renal regeneration. T he accumulation of mononuclear leukocytes in the renal interstitium is a striking observation in renal failure. The existence of a regenerat ive potential provided by the network of inflammatory mononuclear leuk ocytes is supported by studies on tissue repair in different fields. T his review discusses the infiltrating network of mononuclear leukocyte s as a major participant in the regeneration process after acute renal failure, including the approach which can be followed to investigate this hypothesis.