IgA kidney disease symptoms

Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
Updated on September 22, 2024
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IgA nephropathy is characterized by the deposition of IgA in the glomerular mesangial regions and is a common type of glomerulonephritis. It is also a major cause of uremia. IgA nephropathy typically affects adolescents. Once diagnosed, patients primarily experience recurrent macroscopic hematuria, especially after skin infections or respiratory infections, during which blood in the urine becomes more apparent. Of course, there can also be asymptomatic hematuria and increased urinary protein. Some patients with IgA nephropathy may also experience edema, particularly in the eyelids and facial area upon waking up in the morning, and in severe cases, there may be an increase in blood pressure and a decline in kidney function. It is essential for patients with IgA nephropathy to have regular follow-ups to monitor changes in routine urine tests, kidney function, and blood pressure, and to seek active treatment if the condition worsens.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
1min 1sec home-news-image

IgA kidney disease symptoms

IgA nephropathy is characterized by the deposition of IgA in the glomerular mesangial regions and is a common type of glomerulonephritis. It is also a major cause of uremia. IgA nephropathy typically affects adolescents. Once diagnosed, patients primarily experience recurrent macroscopic hematuria, especially after skin infections or respiratory infections, during which blood in the urine becomes more apparent. Of course, there can also be asymptomatic hematuria and increased urinary protein. Some patients with IgA nephropathy may also experience edema, particularly in the eyelids and facial area upon waking up in the morning, and in severe cases, there may be an increase in blood pressure and a decline in kidney function. It is essential for patients with IgA nephropathy to have regular follow-ups to monitor changes in routine urine tests, kidney function, and blood pressure, and to seek active treatment if the condition worsens.

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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 Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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IgA nephropathy is a kidney disease.

In medical terms, there is a condition named IgA nephropathy. IgA is actually a type of immunoglobulin. The function of immunoglobulins is to bind with antigens, which then induces an inflammatory response. For example, when bacteria enter the human body, the combination of IgA with the bacteria guides the body's immune system to target and attack the bacteria, which is a normal scenario. This IgA immunoglobulin acts as a mediator in the immune response. Due to some defect, this substance accumulates in the glomeruli. Its deposition in the glomerular capillaries can trigger inflammation in these blood vessels, leading to IgA nephropathy. This results in proliferation of glomerular mesangial cells, deposition in the mesangial matrix, causing blood and protein in the urine, and even leading to renal failure.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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The characteristics of proteinuria in IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy is a pathological type of chronic glomerulonephritis, which can cause patients to exhibit symptoms such as proteinuria and hematuria. Regarding the characteristics of proteinuria, it is generally primarily glomerular proteinuria. In the classification of patients' proteinuria, glomerular proteinuria accounts for a large proportion. If IgA nephropathy presents as chronic nephritis or nephrotic syndrome, the patient's level of proteinuria will be quite severe, with significant amounts of proteinuria, where the 24-hour urinary protein quantification may exceed 1g or even reach more than 3.5g. However, not all patients with IgA nephropathy have such high levels of proteinuria; some may only have mild proteinuria.

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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.