Immunologically Mediated Glomerular, Tubular and Interstitial Renal Disease

Abstract

IT is now widely believed that many, if not most, forms of glomerular disease classified as glomerulonephritis are mediated by immunologic mechanisms. In contrast, the possibility that other parts of the kidney can be directly damaged by immunologic reactions has been given relatively little attention. There are clear indications, however, both from observations in experimental models and in human diseases, that such damage occurs.Glomerular Diseases Assumed or Known to Result from Immunologic MechanismsTwo major forms of immunologically mediated glomerular diseases are recognized from experimental studies: immune-complex glomerulonephritis and antiglomerular-basement-membrane-antibody (anti-GBM) disease^{1 , 2} (Table 1).Immune-Complex GlomerulonephritisImmune-complex glomerulonephritis can . . .