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The following is a summary of “Landscape of peripheral immunity in patients with upper urinary tract urolithiasis and the underlying correlations with renal function,” published in the August 2024 issue of Urology by Qian et al.
Inflammatory and immunological responses significantly contribute to the development and progression of obstructive nephropathy (ON).
Researchers conducted a retrospective study to investigate peripheral immunity characteristics and their associations with renal function in patients with upper urinary tract urolithiasis.
They prospectively enrolled patients with unilateral upper urinary tract urolithiasis who required surgery. Preoperative circulating immune cells and inflammatory cytokines were assessed, along with renal function indicators and calculus-related parameters. Patients were grouped by calculus location, and statistical methods were used to analyze peripheral immunity characteristics and their correlations with hydronephrosis (HN) and renal function.
The results showed that patients with ureteral calculi had more severe HN than those with renal calculi, especially middle ureteral calculi, which were the main cause of ON. These patients had the highest serum creatinine and blood urea nitrogen levels, the most impaired estimated glomerular filtration rate, and the greatest HN. Serum interleukin-8 (IL-8) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) levels differed significantly between ureteral and renal calculi patients, offering insights into ON. However, circulating immune cells showed no significant differences among groups.
The study concluded that circulating inflammatory cytokines, particularly serum IL-8 and IL-6, were partially associated with kidney injury in patients with upper urinary tract urolithiasis, warranting further investigation into their specific influences and mechanisms.
Source: bmcurol.biomedcentral.com/articles/10.1186/s12894-024-01556-y#Abs1
