Less commonly, nephritis involves the tubules and the tissues that surround them (tubulointerstitial tissues). Such inflammation is called tubulointerstitial nephritis. A kidney tubule is a microscopic tube that carries fluid and substances filtered from the blood in the glomerulus to the duct that drains urine into the pelvis of the kidney. Tubulointerstitial tissues surround each of the tubules and separate one tubule from another.
When inflammation damages the tubules and the tubulointerstitial tissues, the kidneys may become unable to concentrate urine, eliminate (excrete) metabolic waste products from the body, or balance the excretion of sodium and other electrolytes, such as potassium. When the tubules and tubulointerstitial tissues are damaged, kidney failure often develops.
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