T. Sekikawa et al., EXPRESSION OF INTERLEUKIN-8 IN HUMAN GLOMERULONEPHRITIS, Research communications in molecular pathology and pharmacology, 99(2), 1998, pp. 217-224
Interleukin-8 (IL-8) is a cytokine, which possesses both chemotactic a
nd activating properties for neutrophils, lymphocytes and basophils. V
arious evidence has indicated IL-8 to be implicated in the pathophysio
logy of immune-mediated renal diseases. We thus examined the expressio
n of IL-8 in renal diseases. We detected the expression of IL-8 both i
n mRNA and the protein levels in renal biopsy specimens obtained from
patients with IgA nephropathy and lupus nephritis. A significant corre
lation was found between the expression of IL-8 mRNA and the number of
neutrophils in the glomerulus. We also found a negative correlation b
etween the expression of IL-8 mRNA and creatinine clearance. Our study
thus suggested IL-8 to be involved in the pathophysiology of prolifer
ative glomerulonephritis.