Research advances of the role of T lymphocytes in lupus nephritis

Systemic lupus erythematosus （SLE） is an autoimmune disease caused by multiple genetic and environmental factors.As a common complication of SLE，lupus nephritis （LN） is also the most common secondary cause of end-stage renal disease （ESRD）.T cell differentiation and function are tightly regulated to ensure protection against pathogens and prevent autoimmune attack versus self-antigens.T cell subsets are critically involved in the development of systemic autoimmunity and organ inflammation in SLE.This review summarized the autoimmune tolerance of T cells and the roles and mechanisms of regulatory T，helper T，natural killer T and kidney-infiltrating T cells in LN as well as the relevant clinical researches.