Macrophages in the kidney play a pathogenic role in inflammation and fibrosis. Our study aimed to understand the polarisation of the M1 and M2 phenotypic profiles of macrophages in injured kidney tissue retrieved from fatal cases of yellow fever virus (YFV). A total of 11 renal tissue biopsies obtained from patients who died of yellow fever (YF) were analysed. To detect antibodies that promote the classical and alternative pathways of macrophage activation, immunohistochemical analysis was performed to detect CD163, CD68, inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS), arginase 1, interleukin (IL)-4, IL-10, interferon (IFN)-γ, IFN-β, tumour necrosis factor (TNF)-α, IL-13, and transforming growth factor (TGF)-β. There was a difference in the marker expression between fatal cases of YFV and control samples, with increased expression in the cortical region of the renal parenchyma. The immunoexpression of CD68 and CD163 receptors suggests the presence of activated macrophages migrating to infectious foci. The rise in IL-10, IL-4, and IL-13 indicated their potential role in the inactivation of the inflammatory macrophage response and phenotypic modulation of M2 macrophages. The altered expression of IFN-γ and IFN-β demonstrates the importance of the innate immune response in combating microorganisms. Our findings indicate that the polarisation of M1 and M2 macrophages plays a vital role in the renal immune response to YFV.
Keywords: M1 macrophage; M2 macrophage; immunopathogenesis; kidney; yellow fever.