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Lupus Nephritis (LN) is a severe complication of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) that affects kidney function. Here, we investigated the role of CD11b, a protein encoded by the ITGAM gene, in the development of LN and its functional activation as a therapeutic strategy. Genetic coding variants of ITGAM significantly increase the risk for SLE and LN by producing a less active CD11b and leading to elevated levels of type I interferon (IFN I). However, a molecular mechanism for how these variants increase LN risk has been unclear. Here, we determined that these variants also significantly associate with elevations in soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR), a known biomarker linked to kidney disease, suggesting a novel molecular connection. Pharmacologic activation of CD11b with a novel, clinical-stage agonist ONT01 significantly suppressed suPAR production in myeloid cells and reduced systemic inflammation and kidney damage in multiple experimental models of LN. Importantly, delaying treatment with ONT01 until after disease onset also significantly reduced serum suPAR and inflammatory cytokines, and decreased immune complex deposition in the glomerulus, glomerulonephritis and albuminuria, suggesting that CD11b activation is therapeutic for LN. Genetic activation of CD11b via a gain-of-function CD11b mutation also showed complete protection from LN, whereas genetic deletion of CD11b worsened the disease in mice, providing further evidence of the role of CD11b activation in regulating LN. Finally, transfer of human LN PBMCs generated human LN like disease in mice that was significantly reduced by ONT01. Together, these data provide strong evidence that ONT01 mediated CD11b activation can therapeutically modulate TLR7-driven inflammation and protect against LN. These findings support clinical development of CD11b agonists as novel therapeutics for treating lupus nephritis in human patients.

Background: Previously we found that kidney tissue and urinary exosomes from patients of diabetic kidney disease showed high levels of ceruloplasmin (CP). Because CP is an acute-phase protein of kidney origin, it could be an early marker of many other kidney diseases. To investigate this hypothesis, we first measured urine exosomal and kidney expression of CP in non-diabetic chronic kidney disease (CKD) patients (membranous nephropathy, focal segmental glomerulosclerosis, lupus nephritis and IgA nephropathy) followed by a longitudinal study in rat passive Heymann nephritis (PHN), a model of human membranous nephropathy., Methods: Urinary exosomes were isolated from urine of patients (and rats) by differential centrifugation. The exosomal extracts were used for measuring CP using ELISA. Kidney expression of CP was evaluated by immune-staining biopsy tissues. Similar techniques were applied in rat PHN model (produced by injection of anti-gp600 antiserum) to analyze urine exosomal and kidney CP., Results: Urine exosomal CP levels were 10-20 times higher in CKD patients than in controls; consistent with this we found high immune-reactive CP localized in tubules and collecting ducts of biopsies of CKD patients. In the PHN model urinary exosomal CP level was significantly higher prior to the onset of proteinuria. Early rise of urine exosomal CP, which preceded proteinuria, correlated with high immunoreactive CP found in rat kidneys at this time., Conclusion: We propose that urine exosomal CP, observed to increase prior to proteinuria, makes it a potential urinary biomarker to diagnose early kidney disease.

Soluble urokinase plasminogen activator receptor (suPAR) is an immune-derived circulating signaling molecule that has been implicated in chronic kidney disease, such as focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS). Typically, native uPAR (isoform 1) translates to a 3-domain protein capable of binding and activating integrins, yet the function of additional isoforms generated by alternative splicing is unknown. Here, we characterized mouse uPAR isoform 2 (msuPAR2), encoding domain I and nearly one-half of domain II, as a dimer in solution, as revealed by 3D electron microscopy structural analysis. In vivo, msuPAR2 transgenic mice exhibited signs of severe renal disease characteristic of FSGS with proteinuria, loss of kidney function, and glomerulosclerosis. Sequencing of the glomerular RNAs from msuPAR2-Tg mice revealed a differentially expressed gene signature that includes upregulation of the suPAR receptor Itgb3, encoding β3 integrin. Crossing msuPAR2-transgenic mice with 3 different integrin β3 deficiency models rescued msuPAR2-mediated kidney function. Further analyses indicated a central role for β3 integrin and c-Src in msuPAR2 signaling and in human FSGS kidney biopsies. Administration of Src inhibitors reduced proteinuria in msuPAR2-transgenic mice. In conclusion, msuPAR2 may play an important role in certain forms of scarring kidney disease.

Soluble urokinase receptor (suPAR) is a circulatory molecule that activates αvβ3 integrin on podocytes, causes foot process effacement, and contributes to proteinuric kidney disease. While active integrin can be targeted by antibodies and small molecules, endogenous inhibitors haven't been discovered yet. Here we report what we believe is a novel renoprotective role for the inducible costimulator ligand (ICOSL) in early kidney disease through its selective binding to podocyte αvβ3 integrin. Contrary to ICOSL's immune-regulatory role, ICOSL in nonhematopoietic cells limited the activation of αvβ3 integrin. Specifically, ICOSL contains the arginine-glycine-aspartate (RGD) motif, which allowed for a high-affinity and selective binding to αvβ3 and modulation of podocyte adhesion. This binding was largely inhibited either by a synthetic RGD peptide or by a disrupted RGD sequence in ICOSL. ICOSL binding favored the active αvβ3 rather than the inactive form and showed little affinity for other integrins. Consistent with the rapid induction of podocyte ICOSL by inflammatory stimuli, glomerular ICOSL expression was increased in biopsies of early-stage human proteinuric kidney diseases. Icosl deficiency in mice resulted in an increased susceptibility to proteinuria that was rescued by recombinant ICOSL. Our work identified a potentially novel role for ICOSL, which serves as an endogenous αvβ3-selective antagonist to maintain glomerular filtration.

Genetic variations in the ITGAM gene (encoding CD11b) strongly associate with risk for systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Here we have shown that 3 nonsynonymous ITGAM variants that produce defective CD11b associate with elevated levels of type I interferon (IFN-I) in lupus, suggesting a direct link between reduced CD11b activity and the chronically increased inflammatory status in patients. Treatment with the small-molecule CD11b agonist LA1 led to partial integrin activation, reduced IFN-I responses in WT but not CD11b-deficient mice, and protected lupus-prone MRL/Lpr mice from end-organ injury. CD11b activation reduced TLR-dependent proinflammatory signaling in leukocytes and suppressed IFN-I signaling via an AKT/FOXO3/IFN regulatory factor 3/7 pathway. TLR-stimulated macrophages from CD11B SNP carriers showed increased basal expression of IFN regulatory factor 7 (IRF7) and IFN-β, as well as increased nuclear exclusion of FOXO3, which was suppressed by LA1-dependent activation of CD11b. This suggests that pharmacologic activation of CD11b could be a potential mechanism for developing SLE therapeutics.

Podocyte injury is an early event in diabetic kidney disease and is a hallmark of glomerulopathy. MicroRNA-146a (miR-146a) is highly expressed in many cell types under homeostatic conditions, and plays an important anti-inflammatory role in myeloid cells. However, its role in podocytes is unclear. Here, we show that miR-146a expression levels decrease in the glomeruli of patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D), which correlates with increased albuminuria and glomerular damage. miR-146a levels are also significantly reduced in the glomeruli of albuminuric BTBR ob/ob mice, indicating its significant role in maintaining podocyte health. miR-146a-deficient mice (miR-146a -/- ) showed accelerated development of glomerulopathy and albuminuria upon streptozotocin (STZ)-induced hyperglycemia. The miR-146a targets, Notch-1 and ErbB4, were also significantly up-regulated in the glomeruli of diabetic patients and mice, suggesting induction of the downstream TGFβ signaling. Treatment with a pan-ErbB kinase inhibitor erlotinib with nanomolar activity against ErbB4 significantly suppressed diabetic glomerular injury and albuminuria in both WT and miR-146a -/- animals. Treatment of podocytes in vitro with TGF-β1 resulted in increased expression of Notch-1, ErbB4, pErbB4, and pEGFR, the heterodimerization partner of ErbB4, suggesting increased ErbB4/EGFR signaling. TGF-β1 also increased levels of inflammatory cytokine monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 (MCP-1) and MCP-1 induced protein-1 (MCPIP1), a suppressor of miR-146a, suggesting an autocrine loop. Inhibition of ErbB4/EGFR with erlotinib co-treatment of podocytes suppressed this signaling. Our findings suggest a novel role for miR-146a in protecting against diabetic glomerulopathy and podocyte injury. They also point to ErbB4/EGFR as a novel, druggable target for therapeutic intervention, especially because several pan-ErbB inhibitors are clinically available., (© 2017 by The American Society for Biochemistry and Molecular Biology, Inc.)

Synchronous renal cell neoplasms (RCNs) and angiomyolipomas (AML) occurring in the same kidney are rare. The aim of this retrospective study is to investigate the incidence and clinicopathological features of concurrent AML and RCN in patients without tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). Partial and radical nephrectomy specimens with a diagnosis of RCN and AML from 1995 to May 2013 were reviewed. Cases were assessed for histological subtype of AML and RCN, topographic relationship between the AML and the RCN, and clinical characteristics. A total of 565 RCNs and 19 AMLs were identified. Of 19 cases of AML, 9 (47%) were associated with renal tumors. Clear-cell renal cell carcinoma (RCC) was the most common malignancy associated with AML (56%). The mean age of patients with concomitant AML and RCN was higher than the mean age of patients with only AML (58.6 vs 55.5 years). The majority of patients with concomitant AML and RCN were female (78%). All concurrent sporadic AMLs were benign. We identified one case of bilateral clear-cell RCC with concomitant multiple bilateral AMLs in a patient with TSC., (© The Author(s) 2015.)

Background: Predicting or diagnosing underlying kidney disease by analyzing whole urine remains the mainstay of nephrology practice. However, whole urine is a poor compartment to assess many structural changes in the kidney because whole urine contains only a few proteins derived from the kidney itself. Urinary exosomes, on the other hand, which are derived from the kidney, contain proteins secreted by the kidney. We experimentally tested the hypothesis that 'urinary exosomes more faithfully represent changes in the kidney tissue than whole urine'. A direct comparison between whole urine and urine exosomal levels of two chosen kidney disease markers, gelatinase and ceruloplasmin, was carried out on diabetic kidney disease patients., Methods: Urinary exosomes were separated from whole urine by sequential centrifugation including ultra-centrifugation. Gelatinase activity was measured using fluorosceinated gelatin as the substrate, and ceruloplasmin was measured by sandwich ELISA. A few kidney specimens from patients biopsied for atypical features were histochemically stained for validation of the biochemical results., Results: We found that changes in both, gelatinase (decreased activity) and ceruloplasmin (increased levels), in the urinary exosomes of diabetic kidney patients were in agreement with the alterations of these two proteins in the kidney tissue. In contrast, the levels of these two proteins in whole urine were highly variable and did not correlate with levels in the diabetic kidney tissue., Conclusion: In conclusion, these results confirmed our hypothesis that protein markers in urinary exosomes better reflected the underlying protein changes in the kidney than in whole urine samples., (© 2016 S. Karger AG, Basel.)

Kidney allograft rejection is associated with infiltration of inflammatory CD11b+ leukocytes. A CD11b agonist leukadherin-1 (LA1) increases leukocyte adhesion, preventing their transmigration and tissue recruitment in vivo. Here, we test the extent to which LA1-mediated activation of CD11b/CD18 enhances kidney allograft survival in a mouse model of fully MHC-mismatched orthotopic kidney transplantation, where C57BL/6J (H-2(b)) recipients received kidney allografts from Balb/c mice (H-2(d)). Isograft control recipients received a kidney from a littermate. Control isograft and allograft recipients were treated daily with cyclosporine (CsA) for 2 weeks, while the test group received CsA therapy and daily LA1 injections during week 1 and alternate days during weeks 2-8. LA1 treatment reduced interstitial leukocyte infiltration in the allograft, reduced neointimal hyperplasia and glomerular damage, and prolonged graft survival from 48.5% (CsA only) to 100% (CsA and LA1) on day 60. Serum creatinine levels showed significantly improved kidney function in LA1-treated mice compared to CsA-treated allograft controls [0.52 ± 0.18 mg/dL vs 0.24 ± 0.07 mg/dL (n = 5), respectively]. Furthermore, combination therapy reduced macrophage infiltration and increased the frequency of FoxP3 + Tregs in the allograft. These findings indicate a crucial role for CD11b/CD18 in the control of leukocyte migration to the transplanted kidney and identify integrin agonist LA1 as a novel potential therapeutic agent for kidney transplantation.

Metanephric adenoma of the kidney is an uncommon benign epithelial neoplasm with only a small number of reports that describe its cytologic features. We describe two additional cases of metanephric adenoma diagnosed on fine-needle aspiration biopsy and review the available literature. Our cases showed similar cytology and were composed of cellular smears with numerous clusters of small, oval to round cells arranged in a microfollicular pattern and papillary configurations. The tumor cells had scant cytoplasm, fine chromatin and absent nucleoli. Psamomma bodies, nuclear atypia, cellular cpleomorphism, necrosis, and mitoses were absent. Because of the rarity of this tumor and the common cytologic features it shares with other lesions, including malignant tumors such as Wilms' tumor and papillary renal cell carcinoma, awareness of the cytologic features of metanephric adenoma may aid in avoiding a diagnosis of malignancy, especially preoperatively, and in guiding the proper management for the patients., (Copyright © 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.)

Background/aims: The Oxford classification of IgA nephropathy (IgAN) assesses the presence of mesangial hypercellularity ≥50% (M1 vs. 0), endocapillary proliferation (E1 vs. 0), segmental glomerulosclerosis (S1 vs. 0), tubular atrophy/interstitial fibrosis >25 or 50% (T1 or 2 vs. 0), and has been reported as having prognostic value. We studied the clinical significance of the classification in our adult patients with IgAN., Methods: Retrospective study of 54 patients with biopsy-proven IgAN seen from 1983 to 2009. The correlation between the Oxford classification and baseline renal function was assessed. The primary endpoint was a 50% reduction in eGFR or end-stage renal disease. Predictors for progression to the endpoint were determined by multivariate analyses., Results: Patients were 41 ± 15 years of age with a serum creatinine of 1.5 ± 0.8 mg/dl, eGFR of 61 ± 24 ml/min/1.73 m(2), and proteinuria of 2.0 ± 1.6 g/day. Oxford classifications were as follows: M1 = 72%, E1 = 20%, S1 = 81%, and T1 = 13%/T2 = 22%. During the follow-up of 5.8 ± 4.8 years, 19% of patients reached the primary endpoint. While the Oxford classification was associated with progressive renal disease, only the T score (T0, T1, T2) was predictive of outcome with 6, 29, and 50% of patients (p = 0.002) reaching the primary endpoint. The 10-year renal survival for T0, T1, and T2 was 100, 50, and 17%, respectively (p < 0.001). By multivariate analysis, the hazard ratio for reaching the primary endpoint was 32 for patients with T ≥1 versus T0 (p = 0.01)., Conclusions: In our experience, the Oxford classification predicts progressive renal disease, but the degree of tubulointerstitial fibrosis was the only feature independently predictive of outcome., (Copyright © 2011 S. Karger AG, Basel.)