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Glomerulonephritis in leprosy.

Abstract

A renal biopsy from a patient with lepromatous leprosy but no history of erythrema nodosum leprosum (ENL) showed histologic, immunofluorescent, and ultrastructural features typical of immune-complex glomerulonephritis. A literature review found reports of 187 renal biopsies from leprosy patients, with glomerulonephritis in 31% of the cases, and a variety of other renal lesions. This accumulated evidence demonstrates that, contrary to widely held opinion, there is no association between glomerulonephritis and a history of ENL. Furthermore, it suggests that glomerulonephritis in leprosy patients has a similar incidence in lepromatous and non-lepromatous cases. These observations have an important bearing on concepts regarding the pathogenesis of immune complex glomerulonephritis in leprosy and the humoral immune mechanisms in patients with leprosy.

More information

Type
Journal Article
Author
Ng W L
Scollard D M
Hua A

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