Understanding the role of primary cilia in the kidney continues to provide clues concerning the pathogenesis of cystic kidney disease as well as epithelial homeostasis and regeneration. The near ubiquitous presence of primary cilia on epithelial cells in the kidney means that their involvement should be considered in a wide range of renal diseases and injuries. We

thank the Rotary Club of Wodonga and the Australian Chapter of the PKD foundation for supporting our studies of polycystic kidney disease. The micrographs in Figures 2 and 3 of this manuscript were obtained using instruments maintained by Monash MicroImaging. The Monash Institute of Medical Research is supported by the Victorian Government’s Operational Infrastructure Support Program. “
“Lupus selleck compound nephritis (LN) is a common and important manifestation of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Evidence suggests higher rates of lupus renal involvement in Asian populations, and maybe more severe nephritis, compared with other racial or ethnic groups. The management of LN has evolved considerably over the past three decades, based on observations from clinical studies

that investigated different immunosuppressive agents including corticosteroids, cyclophosphamide, azathioprine, mycophenolic acid, calcineurin inhibitors and novel biologic therapies. This is accompanied by improvements in both the short-term treatment response RAD001 rate and long-term renal function preservation. Treatment guidelines for LN have recently been issued by rheumatology and nephrology communities in U.S.A. and Europe. In view of the racial difference in disease manifestation and response to therapy, Non-specific serine/threonine protein kinase and the substantial disease burden in Asia, a panel of 15 nephrologists and rheumatologists from different Asian regions with extensive experience in

lupus nephritis – the Steering Group for the Asian Lupus Nephritis Network (ALNN) – met and discussed the management of lupus nephritis in Asian patients. The group has also reviewed and deliberated on the recently published recommendations from other parts of the world. This manuscript summarizes the discussions by the group and presents consensus views on the clinical management and treatment of adult Asian patients with LN, taking into account both the available evidence and expert opinion in areas where evidence remains to be sought. Systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) is a potentially severe autoimmune disease that demonstrates variations in incidence, prevalence, disease activity and prognosis according to race and ethnicity.[1-3] Renal involvement affects over 60% of patients with SLE, and is a major contributor to morbidity and mortality.[4, 5] A systematic review of SLE in Asia has shown higher rates of renal involvement in Asian patients (21–65% at diagnosis and 40–82% at follow-up) compared with Caucasians.