Glomerular accumulation of plasmacytoid dendritic cells in active lupus nephritis: Role of interleukin‐18

Abstract

A deficient number of peripheral plasmacytoid DCs correlated with high levels of Th1 cytokines and was associated with LN. Both serum and glomerular IL-18 were increased in LN. It is suggested that the high level of expression of IL-18R by peripheral plasmacytoid DCs allows the DCs to relocate within glomeruli under IL-18 stimulation and triggers the resident T cells, thus promoting renal damage.