Pauci-immune crescentic glomerulonephritis—an inflammatory disease of the kidneys— may be triggered by bacterial infection. Kain et al. show that almost all individuals with this disease have auto-antibodies to the membrane protein LAMP-2. These antibodies cross-react with the bacterial adhesion FimH, and immunization with FimH causes disease in rats.
- Renate Kain
- Markus Exner
- Dontscho Kerjaschki
