Urinary glycosaminoglycan composition in chronic glomerulonephritis.

Background: Glycosaminoglycans (GAG) play an important role in regulating glomerular permeability, and a reduction in their plasmatic concentration or urinary loss has been implicated in the pathogenesis of diseases associated with increased albumin permeability. The purpose of this study was to evaluate GAG excretion in renal pathology by analyzing the composition of urinary GAG in antibody mediated glomerular injury, such as mesangial glomerulonephritis (IgAGN) and primitive membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN), to verify the effects of glomerular capillary wall lesion with and without mesangial cell injury.

Methods: Urinary GAG excretion was analyzed in 20 patients with IgAGN, 18 patients with MGN, and in 18 healthy subjects (controls).