Can IgA Nephropathy Cause Hair Loss

Recently, some IgA Nephropathy patients complain they have serious hair loss and want to know whether it is related with their IgA kidney problem. Some others even worry they will become bald someday as they may lose more than 150 hairs one time. We know hair loss is normal in many cases, but for IgA Nephropathy patients, the serious hair loss is still normal?

IgA Nephropathy is an autoimmune disease which is marked by accumulation of immune complexes (mainly IgA immune complex) in the mesangial area. The typical symptom of it is repeated blood urine which sometimes is companied with protein urine. In some cases, patients may also experience serious high blood pressure and renal insufficiency. IgA Nephropathy is primary glomerular disease hair loss is usually related with hair follicle or great loss of trace elements. Therefore, IgA Nephropathy usually does not cause hair loss.

Since hair loss is not a symptom of IgA Nephropathy, it does not mean IgA Nephropathy patients will certainly suffer no hair loss. In cases of IgA Nephropathy, IgA immune complexes deposit in mesangial area and trigger inflammatory reaction. Inflammatory reaction is the direct cause of kidney damages, which means inflammatory reaction damage our renal tissues directly, so to avoid further kidney damages, many patients take immunosuppressive agents. Immunosuppressive disturb our immune system and cause hair loss directly. Therefore, for IgA Nephropathy patients who are taking immunosuppressive agents, they suffer hair loss easily.

Immunosuppressive agent is a way for IgA Nephropathy patients to avoid further kidney damages, but it is temporary because as long as there is immune complexes, inflammatory reaction will occur again. Since inflammatory reaction occurs because of immune complexes in mesangial area, so the correct method to treat IgA Nephropathy is to clear immune complexes away from kidney, not simply block inflammatory reaction.

Lastly, incorrect treatment method, say immunosuppressive agents here, not only fail to treat IgA Nephropathy fundamentally, but also cause side effects referring to hair loss. Therefore, choosing a right treatment is very essential for IgA Nephropathy patients.