Nephropathy in Cameroon: evidence for filarial derived immune-complex pathogenesis in some cases.
This study was carried out in two parts. Part 1 consisted of an epidemiological survey of 1011 subjects aged 3-65 yrs from 2 adjoining villages hyper-endemic for Onchocerciasis and 890 subjects in a control area, relatively free from this infection but otherwise with a similar parasitological profile. There was a significantly higher prevalence of proteinuria in subjects from the onchocercal zone than in controls (observed difference greater than 5 1/2 times its standard error). Part 2 comprised detailed investigations, including renal biopsy, of 63 consecutive patients admitted into hospital with severe proteinuria and/or renal failure from a caption area extending into the onchocercal zone. There were a variety of causative factors, but in 9 cases filarial antigen was demonstrable in the immune-complex deposits in the kidney. A plenum of renal histopathological changes were seen in patients with onchocerciasis. The significance of these findings is discussed.
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000276:immunology*; D002163:Cameroon; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D005368:Filariasis / Q000150:complications*; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000209:etiology* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D006801:Humans; D007415:Intestinal Obstruction / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D007668:Kidney / Q000473:pathology; D008118:Loiasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009855:Onchocerciasis / Q000150:complications* / Q000473:pathology; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex