The origin of cells in the glomerular crescent investigated by the use of monoclonal antibodies.

A study was made of the cells forming the crescents in human crescentic glomerulonephritis. The investigation was performed using a panel of antibodies with immunoperoxidase techniques in formalin fixed, paraffin embedded renal biopsy material. Some of the cells of glomerular crescents were found to contain cytokeratin intermediate filaments, as did some of the cells of the normal parietal epithelium of Bowman's capsule. Leucocytes were also found in crescents, often in the outer part, and their presence was associated with a mantle of inflammatory cells around the glomerulus. The use of paraffin embedded rather than frozen tissue allowed better histological assessment than has been possible in previous studies. The glomerular crescents appeared to be primarily epithelial in origin, with leucocytes contributing to the overall inflammatory response.