Pernicious Anemia and IgA Nephropathy: Causes and Management

Both pernicious anemia and IgA Nephropathy are autoimmune disorder, in which the body’s own immune system mistakenly damages its own tissues. Quite a number of IgA Nephropathy patients complain that they have pernicious anemia. How does IgA Nephropathy cause severe anemia? Is there a treatment to manage patients’ anemia?

Causes of pernicious anemia and IgA Nephropathy

We know healthy kidneys can both cleanse blood and keep electrolyte balance. IgA Nephropathy is a condition where a lot of protein-IgA builds up in the kidneys and cause kidney damage, that is to say, part of patients’ kidney function loses their ability to work. Over time, more and more healthy problems will occur. Pernicious anemia is an autoimmune disorder where the body can’t absorb enough vitamin B-12 and the internal immune system is disturbed. Without enough vitamin B-12, the body can’t make enough red blood cells so that kidneys can’t get enough nutrition and oxygen. As a result, uncontrolled pernicious anemia must worsen patients’ condition or even may cause death. In view of this, a prompt treatment for pernicious anemia and IgA Nephropathy is very important.

Treatment for pernicious anemia in IgA Nephropathy

Replenish the vitamin B-12 supply in the body: Since pernicious anemia is caused by vitamin B-12 deficiency, replenishing this kind of vitamin can help ease patients’ condition. Eating more foods high in vitamin B-12 and using some medicines can be effective. For example, an injection of 1 mg fo vitamin B-12 is generally given every day for one week, followed by 1mg every week for four weeks and then 1mg every month thereafter.

Regulate patients’ immune system and protect their remaining kidney function: Since IgA Nephropathy is the underlying cause of pernicious anemia, a therapy that can help treat IgA Nephropathy is also needed. Here, we would like to introduce Immunotherapy that has an obvious effect of protecting kidney function and correcting patients’ immune system without side effects.

Both pernicious anemia and IgA Nephropathy are uneasy conditions to treat, so you should take systemic treatment with the help of doctor to avoid dialysis or kidney transplant. If you still have some confusion about your diet or treatment, free feel to consult us.