Macrophage infiltration and accumulation is a hallmark of chronic kidney disease. Tissue plasminogen activator (tPA) is a serine protease regulating the homeostasis of blood coagulation, fibrinolysis, and matrix degradation, and has been shown to act as a cytokine to trigger various receptor-mediated intracellular signal pathways, modulating macrophage function in response to kidney injury. In this review, we discuss the current understanding of tPA-modulated macrophage function and underlying signaling mechanisms during kidney fibrosis and inflammation.
Keywords: annexin A2; inflammation; kidney disease; low-density lipoprotein receptor-related protein (LRP-1); macrophage function; macrophage polarization; nuclear factor- κB (NF-κB); signal transduction; tissue plasminogen activator (tPA).