T-cells and macrophages in rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis: clinicopathologic correlations

Abstract

We phenotyped with monoclonal antibodies (MAb) the cellular infiltrates in kidneys of patients with rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) responsive (R) or nonresponsive (NR) to pulse methylprednisolone therapy (PM)-eight anti-GBM, six no immune deposits, three immune complex, two vasculitis, and one proliferative GN. There were glomerular, periglomerular, crescentic, and interstitial T and T-cell subsets. Few interstitial and no glomerular B and NK cells were observed. TH cells were much more common than TS. Phenotypes were quantitatively evaluated in 221 nephritic and 32 control glomeruli. T and/or TH cells were positively correlated with M phi, r = 0.30 to 0.74, P less than 0.05 to 0.0005. Although differences in phenotypes were observed, these differences were insufficient to distinguish between subtypes. Analysis of R and NR revealed no relationship to percent crescents, entry serum creatinine, oliguria, or need for dialysis. NR was related to presence of anti-GBM disease, P = 0.001, as was ability to stop dialysis, 0 of 7 GBM versus 9 of 10 other, P less than 0.001. Mild infiltrates of lymphocytes and M phi correlated with R, P less than or equal to 0.02. R had fewer numbers of TH and M phi in glomeruli, P = 0.0001, in crescents, P less than 0.02, and total TH and M phi compared to NR, P less than 0.001. Crescentic and total TH/S ratios were lower in NR than R, P less than 0.05. These findings demonstrate that components of the cell-mediated immune (CMI) system are present by MAb analysis, that subtypes cannot be differentiated by CMI constitution, and R to PM is related to intensity and composition of CMI involvement. Independence of the CMI system relative to anti-GBM disease remains to be clarified.