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How Is IgA Nephropathy Diagnosed

2013-04-01 14:08

How is IgA Nephropathy diagnosed? IgA Nephropathy or Berger’s Disease is the most common type of glomerulonephritis around the world. It is an autoimmune disease and occurs more commonly in young adults. With IgA Nephropathy, patients will suffer from various discomforts and also they run a high risk of developing kidney failure. It is life-threatening, especially when it runs to advanced stage. Though it is seriously, many patients with IgA Nephropathy have no ideal about how IgA Nephropathy is diagnosed.

1. IgA Nephropathy is marked by deposition in mesangial area

The symbolic pathological change in IgA Nephropathy is IgA deposition in mesangial area with or without C3、IgG 、IgM. Deposition in mesangial area cause inflammation which can damage surrounding kidney tissues and cause kidney damages directly. IgA deposition in mesangial are is essential for the diagnosis of IgA Nephropathy.

2. Immunologic test shows high level of IgA in blood

IgA actually refers to immunoglobulin A which is one of the important part for our body to fight against invaders like bacterium and virus. Clinic studies found about 50% IgA Nephropathy patients have high level of IgA in blood and 37% to 75% of patients are detected to have IgA immune complexes in blood.

3. Quantifying of protein in urine and type of proteinuria

Quantifying of protein in urine and type of proteinuria not only helps to diagose IgA Nephropathy, but also helps to reflect the prognosis of IgA Nephropathy. Microalbuminuria (urine in protein is less than 1 gram within 24 hours) always indicates mild illness condition. Whereas, massive proteinuria implies severe illness condition with crescent and glomerular sclerosis.

4. Hematuria

IgA Nephropathy is a disease in glomeruli. When glomerular filtration membrane is damaged, excess red blood cell leak out and flow out of patient’s body with urine. Hematuria is diagnosed when there are excess red blood cells in urine. For people who are diagnosed with IgA Nephropathy, almost all of them have hematuria which might be gross or microscopic.

In clinic, many methods can help to diagnose IgA Nephropathy, but according to clinic study, only proliferative mesangial area, focal segmental proliferative glomerulonephritis and IgA depostion in mesangial area are essential for diagnosing IgA Nephropathy.


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