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Several studies indicated that tonsillectomy can improve the prognosis of patients with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN). However, the relationship between tonsillar immunity and IgAN is still unclear.A total of 14 IgAN patients were recruited in the current study from May 2015 to April 2016 in Tongji Hospital. B cells, dendritic cells (DCs), and IgA1 positive cells in human tonsils were detected using immunofluorescence and immunohistochemistry. Correlations between these cells and clinicopathologic features were evaluated.CD19CD19

Diagnosis of immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) requires the evaluation of renal biopsy specimens. However, renal biopsy is an invasive procedure and is not frequently performed for various reasons. Thus, recognized noninvasive biomarkers for predicting IgAN progression are urgently needed.In the present study, we included 86 IgAN patients with renal biopsy from June 2015 to May 2016 and had their plasma interleukin-7 (IL-7) level measured with ELISA. The association between the plasma IL-7 level and clinico-pathological characteristics was analyzed. Immunohistochemical staining was used to assay the in situ expression of IL-7 in vivo. Western blotting was performed to examine the production of extracellular matrix, p-mTOR and the markers of autophagy under the treatment of IL-7 after TGF-β1 stimulation in renal tubular epithelial cells.IL-7 was significantly decreased in patients with IgAN compared to healthy subjects (2.3077 vs. 8.6294 pg/mL, P0.0001). There was a significant difference in the plasma IL-7 level between tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis T0 and T2 classes (P=0.0064). A lower plasma IL-7 value in patients at the time of biopsy indicated a poor renal outcome. In addition, IL-7 was over-expressed in renal tubular epithelial cells and significantly attenuated transforming growth factor βl-induced extracellular matrix production by suppression of cellular autophagy via activation of mTOR1 signaling.These results suggested that IL-7 might be a noninvasive biomarker for predicating IgAN. It protected renal proximal tubular epithelial cells from cellular fibrosis by inhibiting autophagy via mTORl signaling.