How to Have Early Detection of IgA Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy, also known as Berger’s disease, is a kidney disease with hematuria as its main clinical manifestation. If proper treatment is received in the early stage the prognosis will be better and if left untreated or improperly treated, it will gradually develop into renal insufficiency or even end stage kidney failure and cause enormous harms to the human health. So what are the tests that should be done which can help have an early detection of IgA nephropathy?

1. Immunofluorescence check. It is the most common used diagnostic test for IgA. The fundamental is to mark the fluorescein in the corresponding antibodies which will have reactions with corresponding antigens. Its advantages are convenience, high specificity and the disadvantage is low sensitivity and each antigen requires one fluorescent antibody.

2. Microscopic hematuria. In case of microscopic hematuria, the red blood cells in urine are mainly malformed. We need to note that there are about 50% IgA patients have increase of serum IgA, but it has nothing to do with the illness conditions.

Besides these tests, there are some daily checks that can help have early detection of IgA nephropathy.

1. The time between infections and gross hematuria. IgA nephropathy patients usually have gross hematuria (blood in urine) within 24 to 72 hours after infections especially upper respiratory tract infections. This condition is very rare in other glomerular diseases.

2. Back pain and abdominal pain. Back pain in IgA is more severe than in other primary glomerular diseases. The pain is located in bilateral kidneys and it is dull pain and will aggravate when there is gross hematuria. This may be caused by stretching of the renal capsules and blood vessels due to the expansion of the kidneys.