Dialysis for ESRD in IgA Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy is an autoimmune disorder with inflammation of glomeruli.It is a progressive kidney disease and ESRD can occur in some patients.Dialysis is the first-line treatment option for ESRD in IgA nephropathy.

ESRD in IgA nephropathy

Glomeruli are filters in kidneys.They can filter out waste products from body and meanwhile keep useful substances in body.However,in IgA nephropathy,the immune system fails to function adequately.Excessive IgA is produced by immune system and then deposits in glomeruli.The deposits of IgA can cause inflammation of kidneys.Uncontrolled inflammation can impair renal function,resulting in gradual loss of renal function. Eventually,ESRD may occur.

Dialysis for ESRD in IgA Nephropathy

Dialysis mainly includes hemodialysis and peritoneal dialysis.In hemodialysis,a dialyzer is used which can purify blood by removing a partial waste products from blood.Peritoneal dialysis is a procedure in which the abdominal membrane acts as a filter to filter out waste products from body.Dialysis plays an important role in prolonging the patients’ life span. However, it has no point in improving renal function in ESRD due to IgA nephropathy at all.

Alternative treatment to dialysis for ESRD in IgA nephropathy

The combined treatment of Blood Purification and Stem Cell Therapy is suggested to treat ESRD in IgA nephropathy to replace dialysis.These two treatments work in the following ways to treat the condition.

Blood Purification is not a specific treatment. It is composed of a group of treatment methods to purify blood with waste and toxins.Based on patients’ kidney damage degree and types of wastes in blood,different types of blood purification methods will be used.Blood purification can create a favorable internal environment for the application of stem cell therapy.

Stem cells are immature undifferentiated cells in body.In treating ESRD in IgA nephropathy,they can divide into new cells to replace the impaired and necrotic renal functional cells, thus repairing the impaired kidney structure.Also,the stem cells can differentiate into immune cells to help the body rebuild normal immune system. The immune system will recover its protective function and stop attacking kidney tissues.

The combined treatment of blood purification and stem cell therapy can treat ESRD in IgA nephropathy from the underlying cause. Hence, it can help the patients avoid the need of dialysis.