The risks of thin basement membrane nephropathy.
Most individuals with thin basement membrane nephropathy (TBMN) have an excellent prognosis. For these patients, the only hazards are the anxiety related to misconceptions about the diagnosis and the inconvenience, expense, and wastefulness of unnecessary investigations. However, there also are specific genetic implications for individuals with TBMN because, on average, half their offspring inherit the causative mutations and most of these have hematuria. In addition, despite the generally excellent outcome, some individuals with TBMN develop hypertension, proteinuria, or renal impairment. In some cases, renal failure is caused by apparently progressive but otherwise uncomplicated TBMN, and in others it results from a secondary or coincidental glomerular or tubulointerstitial renal lesion. In particular, TBMN appears to predispose to immunoglobulin (Ig)A glomerulonephritis, and the outcome for these patients is worse than for those with TBMN alone. The risks for patients with TBMN in relation to pregnancy and transplantation have not been well-studied but are described elsewhere in this issue.
Tonna
Stephen
S
Department of Medicine, The Northern Hospital, University of Melbourne, Epping, Victoria, Australia.
Wang
Yan Yan
YY
MacGregor
Duncan
D
Sinclair
Roger
R
Martinello
Paul
P
Power
David
D
Savige
Judy
J
D003951:Diagnostic Errors; D020022:Genetic Predisposition to Disease; D005821:Genetic Techniques; D015433:Glomerulonephritis, Membranous / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D006801:Humans; D006977:Hypertension, Renal / Q000209:etiology; D011507:Proteinuria / Q000209:etiology; D051437:Renal Insufficiency / Q000209:etiology; D012307:Risk Factors