Abstract:
Ischemia-reperfusion injury, rejection, nephrotoxicity caused by calcineurin inhibitors and other factors cause excessive accumulation of renal extracellular matrix after kidney transplantation, which gradually induce renal fibrosis and eventually lead to renal failure. In recent years, the mechanism of macrophages in renal allograft fibrosis has gradually captivated widespread attention. Studies have shown that some drugs like mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors may mitigate renal allograft fibrosis through the macrophage. In this article, the main pathogenesis and pathophysiological mechanism of renal allograft fibrosis, the role of different macrophages in the progression of renal allograft fibrosis, the infiltration of peripherally-recruited macrophages and renal resident macrophages into renal injury areas, the induction of myofibroblasts by macrophages and potential treatment regimens of macrophage-associated renal allograft fibrosis were reviewed, aiming to provide reference for investigating the role of macrophages in renal allograft fibrosis.