Interleukin-1 production by monocytes from patients with glomerulonephritis after stimulation in vitro with soluble immune complexes.

Monocytes from 30 patients with glomerulonephritis (GN) were stimulated with soluble immune complexes (IC). In order to neutralize the effect of prostaglandins, some cultures were incubated in the presence of indomethacin. Interleukin-1 (IL-1) activity was assessed by the comitogenic activity of the crude monocyte supernatants on phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated murine thymocytes. Our results demonstrate that, upon stimulation with the soluble IC monocytes from GN patients possess an enhanced capacity to produce IL-1, and the levels of IL-1 correlate with disease activity only in one case of acute poststreptococcal GN (AGN), not in all other patients. This enhanced production of IL-1 may contribute to the disordered immunoregulation in GN.