What is IgA Nephropathy

What is IgA Nephropathy?IgA Nephropathy is chronic glomerulus disease caused by a group of pathogenesis with the same characteristic of immunopathology. IgA Nephropathy has a great variance during its development, which starts with slight partial pathological change and represents slight membrane broadening and sectional hyperplasia among a few of glomerulus. But the pathological change of sectional hyperplasia can develop into sectional sclerosis. Some pathological change of IgA Nephropathy may be apparent together with diffusible membrane hyperplasia, occasionally with the formation of cresent. The typical characteristic of IgA Nephropathy is the deposition of IgA on mesangial area displaying immunofluorescence but rarely with the deposition of C3, IgG and IgM, which is confirmed with the deposition of electronic density substances by electron microscope.

The symptoms of IgA Nephropathy mainly display gross hematuria or microscopic hematuria, and can be accompanied with slight protein in urine, which a few patients can develop into Nephrotic Syndrome. In clinic, there are about 40 to 45 percent of patients displaying blood urine observed by naked eyes or under microscope, about 35 to 40 percent of patients can display protein in urine and blood urine under microscope, and the others display with Nephrotic Syndrome or Renal Failure. Because of the great variation of pathological types of IgA Nephropathy and glomerulus's extent of damage, patients should strictly observe the frequency of blood urine, the extent of protein in urine by naked eyes . Further more, they should also check up whether they have Hypertension and the extent of damage of renal function. Once there any abnormality is found out, patients should take the corresponding treatment.

The reasons for diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy are as follows .
One, one of the reason is the presence of protein urine with no symptoms and blood urine observed by naked eyes or under microscope after the infection of the upper respiratory tract.

Two, blood urine of glomerulus (charactered with abnormal red blood cell), protein urine with macro, moderate and mixed protein in urine, and IgA in blood increasing can be used to diagnose IgA Nephropathy.

Three, immunofluorescence mainly with granular IgA can be found in the area of glomerulus membrane by renal biopsy and immune pathologic examination.

Four, other reasons for diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy except for the reasons such as acute glomerulus nephritis by external streptococcus infection, non-IgA membrane proliferative nephritis, TBMN, LN, anaphylatic purpura nephritis and renal damage caused by cirrhosis or ALD, etc.


At present, latest research has discovered that IgA Nephropathy is closely related with the damage to renal inherent cell. So for the treatment of IgA Nephropathy, it should pay more attention to repairing and reverting the function of renal inherent cell.