Does stage 2 IgA nephropathy require treatment?

Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
Updated on January 17, 2025
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IgA nephropathy can be divided into five stages, where stages one to two are relatively mild, early stages, and generally have a good prognosis. For patients with stage two IgA nephropathy, it is rare for the condition to progress to uremia, but whether treatment is needed largely depends on the clinical manifestations of the IgA nephropathy. If a patient with IgA nephropathy has a 24-hour urinary protein quantification greater than 0.5g, it is advisable to use an angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor or an angiotensin II receptor antagonist to protect kidney function and reduce urinary protein. If a stage two IgA nephropathy patient only shows microscopic hematuria, drug treatment is not necessary. However, routine urinalysis and kidney function monitoring should be conducted in daily life, and if an infection occurs, timely anti-infection treatment should be administered. If a stage two IgA nephropathy patient has significant proteinuria, steroid treatment is often required. (Medication should be taken under the guidance of a doctor.)

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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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Is IgA nephropathy sexually transmitted?

IgA nephropathy, a type of chronic glomerulonephritis, does not transmit through sexual intercourse. This condition involves a sterile inflammatory response within the glomeruli of the kidneys, not caused by pathogens such as bacteria, viruses, or fungi. Instead, it results from an immune dysfunction, causing inflammation in the glomeruli without any infectious agents. Therefore, IgA nephropathy is not contagious, and sexual intercourse does not pose a risk of transmitting the condition to a sexual partner. As such, patients with IgA nephropathy can engage in sexual activities if their physical condition permits.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
Nephrology
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IgA nephropathy stages 1, 2, 3 criteria

According to the standards of the World Health Organization, IgA nephropathy is classified into five stages pathologically. The first stage is where most glomeruli appear normal under light microscopy, with only minor mesangial proliferation or associated cellular proliferation, generally showing slight changes without damage to the tubules and interstitium; The second stage indicates mild lesions where over fifty percent of the glomeruli are normal, with only a small portion of the glomeruli showing mesangial cell proliferation, glomerular sclerosis adhesion, and other changes, without the formation of crescents; The third stage is focal segmental glomerulonephritis, characterized by diffuse proliferation of mesangial cells and widening of the mesangial areas, with the lesions exhibiting focal segmental changes and comparatively mild interstitial lesions.

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Written by Zhou Qi
Nephrology
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How to deal with swollen feet in IgA nephropathy?

IgA nephropathy is a pathological type of chronic glomerulonephritis, and patients are prone to edema. The treatment of this edema is divided into two aspects: First, it is necessary to control the condition of IgA nephropathy itself. If there is a significant amount of proteinuria or a large formation of crescents in the glomeruli, the patient may need to use steroids and immunosuppressive agents to control the inflammatory response in the glomeruli. This is the fundamental approach to treating this disease. Second, symptomatic treatment is applied. For mild edema, no special treatment is generally required. However, for severe edema or even systemic edema, it may be appropriate to use diuretics to increase urine output, which can alleviate the patient's edema. However, this is not a solution to the root cause of the problem.

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Written by Li Liu Sheng
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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.