Immunopathological Disorders of Kidneys

Kidneys are bean shaped organs and act as a sewage treatment plant of our body that helps in the get rid of the waste products produced in the body. Basic structural and functional unit of kidneys is nephron. The excretion of fluid and solute is due to the complex interplay between tubular and vascular component within the nephron. There are two main components of the nephron that are glomerulus and tubule. Glomerulus produces the ultrafiltrate and act as filter of the blood. Ultrafiltrate finally converted to urine by the highly specialized tubules by performing two main functions i.e., reabsorption and secretion. Other than producing urine, kidneys also perform other important functions like maintaining water and electrolyte balance of the body, maintenance of the blood pressure, produce hormones like erythropoietin and calcitriol, and maintenance of acid base balance of the body. There are various disorders that hinder the normal functioning of the kidneys. These disorders include various infections like bacterial, viral and physical cause like obstruction, tumors, toxins like heavy metal toxicity, and immunopathological disorders. Immunopathological disorders occur, when there is a defect in either innate or acquired immune system or in both, which leads to autoimmune diseases, hypersensitivity reactions and immunodeficiency disorders. Glomerulonephritis is the inflammation of the glomerulus and other compartment of kidneys, and mainly encompasses immune mediated diseases. Basement membrane thickening and proliferation of glomerular cells are observed after the deposition of the immune complex in the glomeruli. The membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) is classified into immune complex mediated, complement mediated, and chronic thrombotic microangiopathy mediated.