Similarities between N-glycan glycoform of tonsillar IgA1 and that of aberrant IgA1 abundant in IgA nephropathy patient serum.

Background: There are many reports on the presence of an incompletely glycosylated O-linked oligosaccharide(s) in the IgA1 hinge region of some IgA nephropathy patients. As the candidates of such IgA1, tonsillar IgA1 and aberrant IgA1, which are abundant in an IgA nephropathy patient, were proposed. On the other hand, in mice, the abnormality of the N-linked oligosaccharide chain of IgA induced the IgA nephropathy.

Hypocomplementemia and membranoproliferative glomeruloneophritis in children.

Background: The incidence of hypocomplementemia detected in the school urinary screening program in Kanagawa Prefecture, Japan, and the number of new patients with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) diagnosed in our institution were decreasing during the period between 1974 and 1997. Follow-up of this study was performed during the period between 1998 and 2003.

Methods: A total of 1,230,398 urine specimens in elementary and junior high school were examined between 1980 and 2003.

Two cases of congenital nephrotic syndrome.

The clinical course and renal histological changes in two patients with congenital nephrotic syndrome are presented. Both patients developed edema and proteinuria at 2 days of age. Steroids and immunosuppressive drugs were not used in either patient.