T cell involvement in glomerular injury.

The mechanisms of glomerular injury are multiple: one aspect is cell-mediated immunity in inflammatory kidney disease. Its fundamental role has been established within the last decade. T cells seem to play a regulatory role in the course of inflammation not only in the proliferative and crescentic disease, but also in nonproliferative glomerulonephritis. T cells become increasingly important in the pathogenesis of both glomerular and interstitial kidney diseases and seem to determine course and prognosis. The recent advances in understanding the mechanisms of T cell-mediated inflammation in kidney disease offer new approaches in therapy.