title: [Primary chronic polyarthritis with kidney involvement (mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis)].
abstract: A 34 year old white male patient suffering from seropositive "probable" rheumatoid arthritis developed a severe hypocomplementemic mesangiocapillary glomerulo-nephritis. Rheumatoid factors (Latex test, Waaler-Rose titer) and IgM were markedly elevated in the serum. The third component of complement (C3) was markedly depressed, while the fourth component (C4) was within normal range. The rapid progression of the disease forced us to start an immunosuppressive drug therapy using azathioprine and steroids. Despite marked clinical improvement, e.g. normalisation of complement components, renal function, the disappearance of rheumatoid factor and proteinuria, the second biopsy taken two years later showed unchanged histological and immuno-histological changes of the glomerula.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D001172:Arthritis, Rheumatoid / Q000150:complications*; D001379:Azathioprine / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006332:Cardiomegaly / Q000209:etiology; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D005448:Fluocortolone / Q000627:therapeutic use; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000209:etiology*; D006801:Humans; D007075:Immunoglobulin M / Q000032:analysis; D008297:Male; D011014:Pneumonia / Q000209:etiology; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor / Q000032:analysis
chemical_list: D007075:Immunoglobulin M; D005448:Fluocortolone; D003165:Complement System Proteins; D012217:Rheumatoid Factor; D001379:Azathioprine
vernacular_title: Primär-chronische Polyarthritis mit Nierenbeteiligung (mesangiokapilläre Glomerulonephritis).