NLRP3 and IgA glomerulonephritis: Liu et al. also demonstrated that the NLRP3 and IL-18 proteins are localized in the proximal tubular cells in kidney biopsy specimens from patients with IgA nephropathy; these NLRP3 inflammasome levels were closely correlated with the extent of proteinuria and tubulointerstitial fibrosis [20, 21].