title: Renal involvement in mixed connective tissue disease. Report of 5 cases.
abstract: 5 cases with the compatible serological criteria of mixed connective tissue disease described earlier are presented. In 1 of them with a moderate degree of proteinuria, the renal biopsy disclosed membranous nephritis. However, despite the absence of overt clinical renal disease in the other 4 cases, biopsies disclosed membranous nephritis in 1 and mild mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis in the remaining 3 cases. In the follow-up of these 4 cases, 2 subsequently developed abnormal urinalysis. Electron microscopic examinations demonstrated electron-dense deposits in glomeruli, and 4 of these patients also had microtubular structures in the endothelial cytoplasm. Contrarily to the original concept, our findings suggest that mixed connective tissue disease also induces immune complex disease.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Kobayashi
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nagase
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Kimura
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Ohyama
authors.forename: M
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Ikeya
authors.forename: N
authors.initials: N
authors.lastname: Honda
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007105:Immune Complex Diseases / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology; D007674:Kidney Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008947:Mixed Connective Tissue Disease / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D009393:Nephritis / Q000150:complications / Q000473:pathology