Renal tubular epithelial antigen-containing immune complexes stimulate interleukin-1 production by monocytes from patients with glomerulonephritis.

We have investigated the effect of immune complexes (IC) derived from human renal tubular epithelial (RTE) antigen on the release of interleukin-1 (IL-1) in monocyte cultures from patients with glomerulonephritis (GN). When peripheral blood monocytes (PBM) were activated by IC, substantial amounts of IL-1 could be detected in the supernatants as measured by mouse thymocyte assay. The IC-induced IL-1 activity was significantly higher in patients with GN than in normal controls. To avoid the effect of prostaglandins on the IL-1 assay, we cultured PBM with addition of indomethacin and assayed IL-1 activity in the culture supernatants. This cyclooxygenase inhibitor augmented IC-induced IL-1 production. The results suggest that IC are involved in stimulating IL-1 production by PBM and thus play a role in the immune response in GN.