IgA kidney disease symptoms

Written by Hu Lin
Nephrology
Updated on September 23, 2024
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The clinical manifestations of IgA nephropathy are diverse. The most common clinical manifestations include episodic gross hematuria, asymptomatic hematuria, and proteinuria. Episodic gross hematuria often occurs several hours after an upper respiratory tract infection, or a day or two later. Patients may notice that their urine is dark tea-colored, brown, or fresh red, light red, and this type of gross hematuria tends to recur. The second type is asymptomatic microscopic hematuria, with or without proteinuria, also known as asymptomatic urinalysis. This is often discovered during physical examinations when patients show no symptoms and tests reveal hidden blood and protein positivity in the urine. The third major category is proteinuria, which in some patients may present as nephrotic syndrome-like proteinuria. The fourth is hypertension; the fifth, acute kidney injury; and the sixth, chronic kidney failure. Most patients with IgA nephropathy gradually progress to chronic kidney failure within 10 to 20 years of diagnosis.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
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Will IgA nephropathy be inherited?

The pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy is currently not very clear, but it is certain that IgA nephropathy is not a hereditary disease. However, although IgA nephropathy is not hereditary, many clinical phenomena suggest that there is a familial aggregation of IgA nephropathy, meaning that often, the parents of patients with IgA nephropathy also tend to have children with the condition. Of course, IgA nephropathy patients are usually adolescents and predominantly males. The main clinical manifestations include recurrent episodes of gross hematuria or persistent microscopic hematuria, which might be accompanied by increased urinary protein. Typically, some patients with IgA nephropathy may experience abnormal renal function, elevated blood pressure, and even develop uremia. Therefore, IgA nephropathy must be taken seriously and requires regular follow-up of routine urine changes.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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Can IgA nephropathy stage 2 be cured?

IgA nephropathy is an immunopathological diagnostic term for chronic glomerulonephritis, indicating that the patient has chronic nephritis. In fact, chronic nephritis does not have a concept of complete cure. Stage two patients indicate that the inflammatory reaction within the glomerulus is not very severe, but the patient may also show more proteinuria. In most cases, the renal function of these patients is still normal, and it may be necessary to decide whether to choose medications such as corticosteroids based on the amount of proteinuria. If the patient responds well to medication, the proteinuria may significantly decrease, or even turn negative, but it cannot be completely cured, as this is a chronic disease, and there is also a possibility of relapse in the later stages of the disease. (Please follow the doctor's orders regarding medication use.)

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
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Is IgA nephropathy stage 2 serious?

IgA nephropathy, when classified according to the World Health Organization, is divided into five stages. Stage 2 IgA nephropathy generally indicates that the patient has a relatively mild condition, with only mild lesions. More than half of the glomeruli are normal, and only a small portion of the glomeruli show increased mesangial cells and glomerulosclerosis. Generally, crescent formations do not occur. Clinically, patients with Stage 2 IgA nephropathy typically exhibit proteinuria and hematuria, usually with normal blood pressure and normal kidney function. Therefore, for patients with Stage 2 IgA nephropathy, it is crucial to maintain a regular lifestyle, avoid infections and fatigue, and refrain from using nephrotoxic drugs. In cases of infection, it is important to actively control the infection. Of course, if the patient's proteinuria exceeds 0.5g, angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors can be used to reduce proteinuria and simultaneously protect kidney function.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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IgA kidney disease causes

IgA nephropathy is a type of chronic nephritis. Patients with this disease have inflammatory reactions within their glomeruli. This inflammation is caused by the deposition of IgA immune complexes in the glomeruli. The reason why patients are prone to IgA immune complex deposition is still not very clearly explained in current medical literature and remains unclear. It is possible that such patients produce defective IgA immunoglobulins, often related to mucosal inflammatory infections, such as tonsillitis, enteritis, proctitis, etc. Inflammation of these mucosal areas might cause defective secretory IgA to circulate through the bloodstream to the kidneys, triggering an inflammatory response. The production of defective IgA immunoglobulins in patients may be related to genetic and environmental factors, but the specific mechanism is still not very clear.

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Written by Hu Lin
Nephrology
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IgA kidney disease's etiology

IgA nephropathy can be divided into primary and secondary IgA nephropathy. Secondary IgA nephropathy includes, for example, lupus nephritis, allergic purpura nephritis, liver disease-related kidney damage, rheumatoid arthritis kidney damage, and so on. The etiology of primary IgA nephropathy is mainly due to the deposition of a type of immunoglobulin, IgA, in the mesangial area of the glomeruli, leading to a series of immune responses, which in turn cause inflammatory damage, resulting in a chronic glomerulonephritis. This form of IgA nephropathy is mainly related to mucosal immune defense, meaning it is linked to certain infectious factors. Additionally, some patients have high reactivity of their mucosa to certain food antigens, which leads to a series of immune-mediated inflammatory responses.