Immunoglobulin A and IgA Nephropathy

IgA actually is the abbreviation of Immunoglobulin A which is an antibody that plays a critical role in mucosal immunity and IgA Nephropathy is the most common glomerulonephritis that characterized by deposition of IgA antibody in the glomerulus.

What is Immunoglobulin A?

In our body, there are two types of IgA: IgA1 and IgA 2. IgA1 mainly exist in serum and accounts for as high as 85% of the all IgA. For IgA2, it only exists in mucous secretions, including tears, saliva, colostrum and secretions from the genitourinary tract, gastrointestinal tract, prostate and respiratory epithelium. IgA2 plays an important part for our mucosa to fight against bacterium, virus and infections. When antigen like bacterium and virus invade our body, IgA exist in mucosa perform function to against these harmful substances and protect our body from being damaged.

What is IgA Nephropathy?

The typical characteristic of IgA Nephropathy is large amounts of deposition (mainly IgA immune complexes) in mesangial area. IgA antibody combines with antigen and form IgA immune complexes which should be normally discharged out of our body. However, because of abnormal immune system or poor immunity, IgA immune complexes deposit in mesangial area and cause inflammation which can help to remove IgA immune complexes in kidney and also can cause kidney damages.

Right treatment method for IgA Nephropathy

Because inflammation is the direct cause of kidney damages in IgA Nephropathy, so usually IgA Nephropathy patients are prescribed with immunosuppressive agents to block inflammation which is helpful for protecting residual kidney tissues and preventing further kidney damages. However, as IgA immune complexes in mesangial area are not cleared away effectively, inflammation occurs again when patients stop taking or reduce the dose of medicine. Also, this is the reason why IgA Nephropathy relapses repeatedly in some cases.

To get IgA Nephropathy treated fundamentally, aide from blocking inflammation, we also need to prevent the deposition of IgA immune complexes and remove the existent IgA immune complexes in mesangial area. Only in this way, can IgA Nephropathy is treated from the root.