微小変化型ネフローゼ症候群における末梢血単球・マクロファージのinterleukin-1産生能

Abstract

The present study was designed to clarify the role of cell-mediated immunity in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS) by measuring interleukin-1 (IL-1) production of peripheral blood monocytes/macrophages (PBM). The subjects employed in this study were 25 patients with MCNS, 18 with membranous nephropathy (MN), 32 with IgA nephropathy (IgA-GN), and 30 healthy volunteers as controls. Patients with MN and IgA-GN showed normal levels of IL-1 activity. PBM from patients with MCNS produced significantly higher levels of IL-1 activity compared to normal healthy volunteers. The increase of IL-1 production by PBM was prominent in the nephrotic stage of MCNS. Increased production of IL-1 by PBM from patients with MCNS returned to normal when the disease was in remission. In addition, we measured the levels of IL-1α and IL-1β produced by PBM. Patients with MCNS, MN, IgA-GN showed normal levels of IL-1α. PBM from patients with MCNS produced significantly larger amounts of IL-1β compared to normal healthy volunteers. Finally, the level of IL-1 activity produced by PBM correlated positively with the level of IL-1β. These findings indicate that increased production of IL-1 by PBM from patients with MCNS may be related to immunological abnormalities in MCNS.