Patients with IgG4-related disease (IgG4-RD) share histopathological characteristics that are similar across affected organs. The finding of infiltration with IgG4+ plasma cells in the proper clinical and histopathological contexts connects a large number of clinical entities that were viewed previously as separate conditions. The renal involvement in IgG4-RD is usually characterized by tubuloi...

Up to 80% of patients with idiopathic membranous nephropathy have non-complement-fixing IgG4 autoantibodies to the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R). Membranous nephropathy recurs in approximately 40% of patients after kidney transplantation, but the mechanism is unknown. Here, we describe a patient with recurrent membranous nephropathy 13 days after kidney transplantation whose graft biopsy sp...

To establish the role of electron microscopy in the diagnosis of glomerular diseases we reviewed retrospectively 113 renal biopsies. The biopsies were included in this study if tissue was received for light microscopy, immunofluorescence and electron microscopy. The biopsy was assigned to one of the three following categories on the contribution of the ultrastructural findings to the primary di...

Volume 5 • Issue 5 • 1000212 J Nephrol Ther ISSN: 2161-0959 JNT, an open access journal C4d Glomerular Deposits and Disease Progression in Native Idiopathic Membranous Nephropathy Vincenzo Sepe1*, Paolo Albrizio2, and Antonio Dal Canton1,2 1Unit of Nephrology, Dialysis, Transplantation, Fondazione I.R.C.C.S., Policlinico San Matteo, Italy 2Chair of Nephrology, University of Pavia, Viale Camillo...

Recently published Kidney Disease Improving Global Outcomes (KDIGO) guidelines recommend limiting the use of immunosuppressive drugs in idiopathic membranous nephropathy to patients at the highest risk of kidney failure. However, recommendations are based on natural history rather than direct assessment of a restrictive treatment strategy. Here, we describe the long-term outcomes of treating a ...

The treatment of primary nephrotic syndrome such as minimal change nephropathy, membranous nephropathy, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis nephropathy remains challenging. Whilst most cases of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome respond to steroid therapy and experience a limited number of relapses prior to complete remission, some cases suffer from frequent relapses and become steroid dependent ...

BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES Rituximab, given in four weekly doses, is a promising treatment for idiopathic membranous nephropathy and other immune-mediated diseases and lymphoproliferative disorders. This multidose regimen, however, may cause hypersensitivity reactions and is extremely expensive. This study was aimed at evaluating whether titrating rituximab to circulating CD20 B cells may improv...