RPGN is a nephrologic emergency, and one of the more exciting consult cases for nephrologists to participate in. Much like dealing with a stroke or heart attack, delays in initiating therapy can lead to substantially worsened outcomes. Prompt…
Prior to the discovery of the hepatitis C virus (viral particles shown on the left), there was an entity termed “essential cryoglobulinemia”–that is, cryoglobulinemia without an obvious explanation. While this term is still used, the true “essential cryoglobulinemia”…
Is it a good idea to screen the pediatric population at-large for hematuria and proteinuria? This is a controversial topic, as generally speaking isolated hematuria or isolated proteinuria are almost always benign findings in pediatric populations, and…
Nearly any primary glomerulopathy has the possibility of recurring following a kidney transplant; however, the frequency and severity with which this occurs varies to a large degree. For instance, evidence of mesangial IgA deposition can be seen in…
Mesangial cells–which historically have received less attention than their more “sexy” neighbor cell types of the glomerulus such as podocytes & endothelial cells–are actually quite interesting. They were originally seen as having purely a “matrix” function–that is, serving…
The glomerular filtration barrier is traditionally thought of as being comprised of 3 layers: (1) the fenestrated endothelium, (2) the glomerular basement membrane, and (3) the podocyte foot processes. Focusing on (2) the glomerular basement membrane (GBM), this…
We all know about the p-ANCA and the c-ANCA, which are antibodies against either myeloperoxidase (MPO) or proteinase-3 (PR3), respectively. Now get ready for a 3rd ANCA subtype, an antibody against LAMP-2! In a recent Nature Medicine article…
Polyarteritis nodosa (PAN) and Microscopic polyangiitis (MPA) are two vasculitides which were previously grouped together. However, they are currently thought of as two separate entities. PAN is a vasculitis of the medium-sized arteries, sparing the smaller vessels and…
IgA Nephropathy & Post-Strep Glomerulonephritis (PSGN) are both relatively common causes of glomerulonephritis which can both be associated with upper respiratory infections. How can you tell them apart? One of the most important distinctions can be made in…
The incidence of ANCA-positive disease is in the ballpark of 1:10,000. The incidence of anti-GBM disease is even more rare, at about 1:1,000,000. One would expect if these 2 disease-causing antibodies were entirely independent of one another, the…
