[Macrophage infiltration in IgA nephropathy and Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis--3. Relationship to crescents].

The relationship between the intraglomerular infiltrating macrophage population and crescents was studied in IgA nephropathy (first biopsy: 468 glomeruli of 42 patients, re-biopsy: 183 glomeruli of 19 patients) and Henoch-Schönlein purpura nephritis (HSPN) (first biopsy: 275 glomeruli of 23 patients, re-biopsy: one glomeruli of 7 patients). Macrophages were stained by monoclonal antibody (CD68) using the ABC method. In the glomeruli with crescents and in patients having many crescents, many macrophages infiltrated in HSPN and at an early stage of IgA nephropathy, but not at the late stage of IgA nephropathy. Glomeruli with cellular crescents showed many macrophages compared with those with fibrocellular or fibrous crescents. In addition, 20.6% of intraglomerular macrophages were observed on the crescents. These findings suggest that macrophages play important roles in the early phase with cellular crescents in IgA nephropathy and HSPN.