A Case of IgA Nephropathy Associated with Non-Hodgkin's Lymphoma / 대한신장학회잡지

The development of glomerular injury in patients with malignancy is considered as paraneoplastic syndrome. The most frequently observed renal lesions associated with malignancies are the membraneous glomerulonephritis on carcinomas and minimal change nephrotic syndrome on Hodgkin's disease. However, glomerular diseases on non-Hodgkin's lymphoma were only occasionally reported. Here we report a case of IgA nephropathy associated with non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. A 53-year-old woman who had complained of gross hematuria and fever was admitted to Wonju Christian Hospital. A urinalysis revealed 2+ proteinuria and red blood cells >30/HPF. A 24-hour urinary protein excretion was 379mg. She was diagnosed as IgA nephropathy on renal biopsy. Subsequently, biopsy of her enlarged neck node was performed for evaluation of fever of unknown origin and it revealed non-Hodgkin's lymphoma (Ki-1 positive anaplastic lymphoma null cell type). Combination chemotherapy was instituted with cyclophosphamide, adriamycin, vincristine and prednisone. After 3 cycles of chemotherapy, she showed no evidence of proteinuria and hematuria with clinical and radiological improvement of malignant lymphoma. Therefore we suggest of certain association between IgA nephropathy and non-Hodgkin's lymphoma by the observation of corresponding disease activity.

A Case of Glomerulonephritis Associated with Staphylococcal Retroperitoneal Abscess / 대한신장학회잡지

The development of renal glomerular lesions secondary to severe visceral infection (pulmonary, pleural, retroperitoneal or hepatic abscess) is not generally appreciated. Such patients resemble those with infective endocarditis. The suggested pathogenetic mechanisms by which infection can cause glomerular damage are immunologic interaction, direct toxicity of a bacterial products, and some other triggering factors; However, direct correlation between the infectious and immunologic events has not been demonstrated. The histopathologic findings of infectious glomerulonephritis are variable, and these findings, as well as the clinical abnormalities, may resolve with effective antimicrobial therapy or abscess drainage. We experienced a case of glomerulonephritis and acute renal failure due to staphylococcal retroperitoneal abscess. The patient was a 58-year-old man who presented with abdominal and back pain. We performed an abdominal CT scan which showed a retroperitoneal abscess which was proven to be a staphylococcal infection upon percutaneous abscess drainage. Furthermore, we performed a renal biopsy in order to investigate hematuria, RBC casts, and proteinuria. Pathologic findings revealed postinfectious glomerulonephritis. Abscess drainage and sensitive antibiotics were administered, after which his symptoms and urinary abnormalities disappeared, and the retroperitoneal abscess subsided. Here, we report a case of a staphylococcal retroperitoneal abscess which led to postinfectious glomerulonephritis and acute renal failure along with a brief review of the literatures.

Lymphocyte Subpopulations in Patients with Minimal Change Disease and IgA Nephropathy / 대한신장학회잡지

The pathogenetic mechanisms of minimal change disease and immunoglobulin A nephropathy remain uncertain, but recently various reports have reported the important role of the immunological aspect in the pathogenesis of glomerular injury. To assess the abnormalities of immunoregulatory system in these glomerular disease, the percentages of lymphocyte subpopulations in peripheral blood were studied in 24 cases of minimal change disease and 28 of immunoglobulin A nephropathy diagnosed by renal biopsy. The results were as follows: 1) CD4/CD8 ratio of the minimal change disease was significantly increased, compared with normal controls and immunoglobulin A nephropathy(P<0.05). 2) No significant difference in T helper cell and T suppressor cell was found between steroid response group and steroid non-response group in minimal change disease. 3) No significant difference in lymphocyte subpopulation was found between group with nephrotic range of proteinuria and group without nephrotic range of proteinuria in minimal change disease. 4) The discrepancies in lymphocyte subpopulations was not observed between group with infection and group without infection in immunoglobulin A nephropathy. 5) The pathologic grade (criteria of WHO) did not demonstrate a significant difference in lymphocyte subpopulation in immunoglobulin A nephropathy. In conclusion, these results suggest that the dysregulation of cell-mediated immunologic system is involved in the pathogenesis of minimal change disease and immunoglobulin A nephropathy, and some differences of immunoregulatory abnormalities between minimal change disease and immunoglobulin A nephropathy exist. But in this study the change in lymphocyte subpopulation does not anticipate the clinical course and prognosis of minimal change disease and immunoglobulin A nephropathy.