title: Immune complex disease complicating diabetic glomerulosclerosis.
abstract: We report immunopathologic findings observed in renal biopsies of 18 patients with diabetic glomerulosclerosis and associated glomerulonephritis. 10 patients had nodular and 8 patients diffuse diabetic glomerulosclerosis. Focal proliferative glomerulonephritis (4 patients), membranous glomerulonephritis (3 patients), postinfectious glomerulonephritis, Henoch-Schönlein nephritis, IgA nephropathy of Berger (1 patient each), and mesangiopathic glomerulonephritis (8 patients) were the superimposed conditions. In patients with diabetic renal disease, a rapid loss of renal function or an atypical urinalysis could be the expression of a superimposed immune complex disease. Because of functional and biochemical alterations, the glomeruli of diabetic patients may be more susceptible to immune-mediated injury.
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001706:Biopsy; D003928:Diabetic Nephropathies / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D005455:Fluorescent Antibody Technique; D005919:Glomerular Filtration Rate; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000209:etiology; D006801:Humans; D007105:Immune Complex Diseases / Q000150:complications*; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D008856:Microscopy, Fluorescence; D008875:Middle Aged; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000150:complications