Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40464872›Full record

ArticleJournal of nephrology2025

Urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells resemble functional characteristics of professional antigen-presenting cells and can directly induce BKV-specific T cell responses.

Toralf Roch, Krystallenia Paniskaki, Patrizia Wehler, Constantin J Thieme, Hanieh Moradian, Arturo Blazquez-Navarro, Moritz Anft, Petra Reinke, Timm H Westhoff, Ulrik Stervbo and 1 more

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Article in Journal of nephrology, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Toralf Roch *Center for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Krystallenia Paniskaki *Center for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Patrizia WehlerCenter for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Constantin J ThiemeCharité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Berlin-Brandenburg Center for Regenerative Therapies, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Augustenburger Platz 1, 13353, Berlin, Germany.
Hanieh MoradianInstitute of Active Polymers, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Kantstr. 55, 14513, Teltow, Germany.
Arturo Blazquez-NavarroCenter for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Moritz AnftCenter for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Petra ReinkeBerlin Center for Advanced Therapies (BeCAT), Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, corporate member of Freie Universität Berlin, Humboldt-Universität Zu Berlin, and Berlin Institute of Health, Berlin, Germany.
Timm H WesthoffCenter for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Ulrik StervboCenter for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany.
Nina BabelCenter for Translational Medicine, Medical Department I, Marien Hospital Herne, University Hospital of the Ruhr-University Bochum, Hölkeskampring 40, Herne, Germany. nina.babel@elisabethgruppe.de.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundReactivation of the BK virus (BKV) is a critical adverse event after kidney transplantation and can lead to graft loss. BKV-reactive T cell-mediated viral control can be facilitated by reducing immunosuppression. However, the exact mechanism underlying the T cell-mediated BKV clearance in the kidney transplant is not clear.

methodsHere, we used urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells as a model system to investigate the immunomodulatory capacity of urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells and their potential to induce T cell responses against BKV. Urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells were generated by culturing urine-derived cell pellets. To assess the inflammatory potential of urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells, the cells were treated with Poly I:C or TNFα/IFNγ. To investigate urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cell-induced T cell responses, autologous T cells, isolated from blood were co-cultured with urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells, in the presence of BKV protein-derived peptides and PolyI:C or TNFα/IFNγ. BKV-reactive T cells, cytokine/chemokine secretion and expression of co-stimulatory molecules were evaluated using multiplex assays and multi-parameter flow cytometry.

resultsUrine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells phenotypically resemble renal tubular epithelial cells, as they express CD13, EPCAM, cytokeratin and the myo-inositol oxygenase. After stimulation with PolyI:C, urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells showed increased levels of CD40 and HLA-ABC, whereas TNFα/IFNγ only induced HLA-DR/ABC expression. Poly I:C and TNFα/IFNγ stimulation of urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells induced a district pattern of inflammatory cytokines and chemokines that facilitate the migration of certain immune cell subsets. Interestingly, urine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells can present BKV peptides, thereby inducing a functional BKV-reactive CD4 and CD8 T cell response.

conclusionsUrine-derived renal tubular epithelial cells express immunomodulatory molecules, and induce BKV-directed T cell reactivity, indicating that renal epithelial cells may serve as non-conventional antigen-presenting cells in the kidney and thereby help BKV clearance.

Indexed as

Antigen-Presenting CellsBK VirusEpithelial CellsKidney TubulesPolyomavirus InfectionsT-LymphocytesTumor Virus InfectionsCells, CulturedCoculture TechniquesCytokinesHumansInterferon-gammaTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaUrineCytokinesInterferon-gammaTumor Necrosis Factor-alphaBKVRenal transplantationSpecific T cellsUdTECUrine derived renal tubular epithelial cell

Identifiers

PMID40464872

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.