Innate pathogen recognition in the kidney: Toll-like receptors, NOD-like receptors, and RIG-like helicases

How do infections trigger or aggravate renal pathology? The discovery of the toll-like receptors, and more recently, the retinoic-acid-inducible protein-like helicases and the nucleotide-binding oligomerization domain-like receptors may offer new concepts to answer this question. Common pathogen-associated molecules are recognized by these receptors in several cellular compartments of immune cells and non-immune cells inside the kidney. This article summarizes ligand–receptor interactions and their known or potential significance in kidney diseases.