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. 2022 Jun 20;32(8):713–714. doi: 10.1038/s41422-022-00683-1

Fig. 1. Pathogenic role of basophils in KF and possible therapeutic interventions.

Fig. 1

During KF, basophils are recruited by profibrotic renal tubules via CXCR2/CXCL1 axis and undergo activation by kidney stroma-produced IL-18 and IL-33. These activated basophils produce IL-6 that induces the differentiation of Th17 cells. IL-6 and Th17 cells act as downstream mediators of KF. The pathogenic roles of IL-6 could be blocked by monoclonal antibodies that target IL-6 receptor (e.g., Tocilizumab). CXCR2/CXCL1 axis that recruits basophils could be pharmacologically targeted though redundancy in the chemokine system is the major drawback. PT, proximal tubules. Parts of the figure were drawn by using pictures from Servier Medical Art. Servier Medical Art by Servier is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported License (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/).