Circulating uromodulin inhibits vascular calcification by interfering with pro-inflammatory cytokine signalling.

Aims: Uromodulin is produced exclusively in the kidney and secreted into both urine and blood. Serum levels of uromodulin are correlated with kidney function and reduced in chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients, but physiological functions of serum uromodulin are still elusive. This study investigated the role of uromodulin in medial vascular calcification, a key factor associated with cardiovascular events and mortality in CKD patients.

Zinc Inhibits Phosphate-Induced Vascular Calcification through TNFAIP3-Mediated Suppression of NF-B.

The high cardiovascular morbidity and mortality of patients with CKD may result in large part from medial vascular calcification, a process promoted by hyperphosphatemia and involving osteo-/chondrogenic transdifferentiation of vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). Reduced serum zinc levels have frequently been observed in patients with CKD, but the functional relevance of this remains unclear. We performed experiments in primary human aortic VSMCs; klotho-hypomorphic (), subtotal nephrectomy, and cholecalciferol-overload mouse calcification models; and serum samples from patients with CKD.

Nomenclature of monocytes and dendritic cells in blood.

Monocytes and cells of the dendritic cell lineage circulate in blood and eventually migrate into tissue where they further mature and serve various functions, most notably in immune defense. Over recent years these cells have been characterized in detail with the use of cell surface markers and flow cytometry, and subpopulations have been described. The present document proposes a nomenclature for these cells and defines 3 types of monocytes (classical, intermediate, and nonclassical monocytes) and 3 types of dendritic cells (plasmacytoid and 2 types of myeloid dendritic cells) in human and in mouse blood.

Calculated withdrawal of low-dose immunosuppression based on a detailed immunological monitoring after kidney transplantation between monocygotic twins.

Background: Pretransplant screening in living donor kidney transplantation includes human leukocyte antigen matching, and panel reactive antibody analysis, whereas T cell mediated anti-donor reactivity is not assessed routinely. We investigated T cell reactivity after living related kidney transplantation between two monocygotic twins and in consequence correlated the withdrawal of individual immunosuppressive medication with immunological findings.

Methods: Immunosuppression consisted of mycophenolate mofetil, glucocorticoid single shot, and induction therapy with antithymocyte immunoglobulin.

Impact of Toll-like receptor signalling on urinary tract infection.

Toll-like receptors (TLRs), components of the innate immune system, play a pivotal role in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infection (UTI). TLRs (especially TLR4) expressed both by epithelial and non-epithelial cells, e.g.

Impact of different immunosuppressive regimens on antigen-presenting blood cells in kidney transplant patients.

Background: Alloantigen-specific and unspecific immune processes contribute to chronic renal graft dysfunction. Despite 'optimized immunosuppressive therapy' (IS), the role of chronic cell activation still remains open.

Methods: 69 kidney transplant recipients (NTX) were assessed for monocyte surface antigens CD14 (LPS receptor) and CD16 (Fc-gamma-III receptor) by flow cytometry including the percentage amount of the proinflammatory CD14+CD16+ subset.