Quantitative analysis of primary proliferative mesangial glomerulonephritis (PMGN) and diffuse form of idiopathic IgA nephropathy (IgAN). Variants of the same morphological process?
Fifteen renal biopsy specimens from patients with idiopathic diffuse IgAN and fifteen from patients with primary PMGN for whom both light and electron microscopy as well as immunofluorescence microscopy and full clinical data were available were examined and compared quantitatively. Morphometric investigations were performed by means of a computer image analysis system to evaluate whether morphometric analysis could confirm morphological similarity of IgAN and PMGN as well as to study whether serum creatinine and changes in quantitatively analyzed glomeruli could correlate with the interstitial fibrosis in these glomerulopathies. The morphometric study revealed that there were no noticeable differences between the groups and the mean values of total glomerular area, total glomerular cells per total glomerular area, total glomerular cells per unit of glomerular area, mesangium (% of total glomerular area) and relative interstitial volume were similar in IgAN and MPGN (in all cases p > 0.05). Moreover, there were significant positive correlations between the width of the cortical interstitium and serum creatinine level as well as between the width of the cortical interstitium and glomerular changes in both IgAN and PMGN groups. In summary it should be noted that the results of quantitative analysis of IgAN and PMGN invariably lead to a conclusion that these glomerulopathies are immunological and clinical variants of the same morphological process.
Danilewicz
M
M
Department of Pathomorphology, Medical University, Lódź.
Wagrowska-Danilewicz
M
M
D003404:Creatinine / Q000097:blood*; D005069:Evaluation Studies as Topic; D005260:Female; D005355:Fibrosis / Q000473:pathology; D005922:Glomerulonephritis, IGA / Q000097:blood / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology*; D015432:Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative / Q000097:blood / Q000473:pathology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
D003404:Creatinine