Cytokines contribute to IgA nephropathy

Some cytokines can enhance the production of aberrantly O-glycosylated IgA1, the main autoantigen in IgA nephropathy. The mechanism behind this observation is described in the peer-reviewed Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR). Click here to read the article now.

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy is the most common primary glomerulonephritis worldwide. There is no disease-specific treatment, and up to 40% of patients will progress to kidney failure. IgA nephropathy is an autoimmune disease in which the kidneys are injured as a result of circulating immune complexes that contain aberrantly O-glycosylated IgA1 bound by IgG autoantibodies.

Colin Reily, PhD, from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and coauthors, present their view of the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy and review how abnormal cytokine signaling in IgA1-producing cells can contribute to the disease process. The authors discuss the human IgA structure and glycosylation, genetics of IgA nephropathy, and the role of cytokines in B cell development and differentiation, and cytokines and production of aberrantly glycosylated IgA1. They also provide an update on clinical trials that use some of these cytokines as therapeutic targets and discuss future directions in IgA nephropathy.

“In a thoughtful and comprehensive review, Reily and colleagues discuss how cytokines contribute to the disease process by enhancing the production of aberrantly glycosylated IgA1. The authors also review current clinical trials of IgA nephropathy based on cytokine-targeting therapeutic approaches. This is a must-read article for all researchers in this important area of research,” says Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research Editor-in-Chief David L. (Woody) Woodland, PhD.

About the Journal
Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research (JICR) is an authoritative peer-reviewed journal published monthly online with open access options and in print that covers all aspects of interferons and cytokines from basic science to clinical applications. Journal of Interferon & Cytokine Research is an official journal of the International Cytokine & Interferon Society. Complete tables of content and a sample issue may be viewed on the JICR website.

About the Publisher
Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers, is known for establishing authoritative peer-reviewed journals in many promising areas of science and biomedical research. Its biotechnology trade magazine, GEN (Genetic Engineering & Biotechnology News), was the first in its field and is today the industry’s most widely read publication worldwide. A complete list of the firm’s more than 100 journals, books, and newsmagazines is available on the Mary Ann Liebert, Inc., publishers website.