Abstract
Despite its proximity to the fecal flora, the urinary tract is considered sterile. The precise mechanisms by which the urinary tract maintains sterility are not well understood. Host immune responses are critically important in the antimicrobial defense of the urinary tract. During recent years, considerable advances have been made in our understanding of the mechanisms underlying immune homeostasis of the kidney and urinary tract. Dysfunctions in these immune mechanisms may result in acute disease, tissue destruction and overwhelming infection. The objective of this review is to provide an overview of the innate immune response in the urinary tract in response to microbial assault. In doing so, we focus on the role of antimicrobial peptides—a ubiquitous component of the innate immune response.
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Abbreviations
- AMP:
-
Antimicrobial peptides
- DC:
-
Dendritic cells
- HBD1:
-
Human beta defensin 1
- HBD2:
-
Human beta defensin 2
- HD5:
-
Human alpha-defensin 5
- HNP:
-
Human neutrophil peptides
- RNase 7:
-
Ribonuclease 7
- SLPI:
-
Secretory leukocyte protease inhibitor
- THP:
-
Tamm–Horsfall protein
- TLR:
-
Toll-like receptor
- UPEC:
-
Uropathogenic Escherichia coli
- UTI:
-
Urinary tract infection
- VUR:
-
Vesicoureteral reflux
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Acknowledgments
JDS is supported by the National Institute of Health Grant K08 DK094970-01. ALS and DSH are supported by the National Institute of Health Grant 1RC4DK090937-01.
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All of the authors declare no competing interests.
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Spencer, J.D., Schwaderer, A.L., Becknell, B. et al. The innate immune response during urinary tract infection and pyelonephritis. Pediatr Nephrol 29, 1139–1149 (2014). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-013-2513-9
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s00467-013-2513-9