IgA myeloma presenting as Henoch-Schönlein purpura with nephritis

Am J Kidney Dis. 2000 Sep;36(3):E19. doi: 10.1053/ajkd.2000.16221.

Abstract

IgA nephropathy (IgAN) and Henoch-Schönlein purpura (HSP) are both characterized by IgA-mediated tissue injury, including mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. Abnormalities of IgA1 glycosylation are described in IgA nephropathy and HSP nephritis. IgA-antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) have been inconsistently described in the serum of patients with HSP. In IgA myeloma, the paraprotein-mediated renal lesion is typically cast nephropathy; IgAN or HSP have only rarely been reported in myeloma even when an IgA paraprotein is circulating in large concentrations. We report the case of a 50-year-old man with IgA myeloma who presented with HSP including nephritis and rapidly progressive renal failure. His IgA1 had altered O-glycosylation in the pattern seen in IgAN and also contained an IgA-ANCA. This case adds further weight to the evidence that IgA1 O-glycosylation abnormalities predispose to mesangial IgA deposition and also that IgA-ANCA may have a pathogenic role in the development of HSP.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic / blood
  • Glycosylation
  • Humans
  • IgA Vasculitis / etiology*
  • Immunoglobulin A / blood*
  • Immunoglobulins / blood*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Multiple Myeloma / complications*
  • Multiple Myeloma / immunology
  • Myeloma Proteins
  • Nephritis / etiology*

Substances

  • Antibodies, Antineutrophil Cytoplasmic
  • Immunoglobulin A
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Myeloma Proteins
  • myeloma immunoglobulins