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Complications
By Mayo Clinic staffThe course of IgA nephropathy varies considerably from person to person. Some people have the disease for years with few problems; many cases, in fact, may go undiagnosed. Other people develop one or more of the following complications:
- High blood pressure. Damage to your kidneys from IgA deposits can raise your blood pressure.
- Acute kidney failure. If your kidneys lose their filtering ability due to IgA deposits, waste products build up quickly in your blood. When this happens, you may need to undergo temporary hemodialysis — an artificial way of cleansing your blood when your kidneys aren't able to do so. During hemodialysis, a needle is inserted into your arm through a special access point. Your blood is then directed through the needle and tubing to a machine called a dialyzer, which filters your blood a few ounces at a time. The filtered blood returns to your body, through another needle.
- Chronic kidney failure. IgA nephropathy can cause your kidneys to gradually stop functioning. Kidney function at less than 10 to 15 percent of normal capacity is considered end-stage kidney disease. In such cases, permanent dialysis or a kidney transplant is needed to sustain life.
- Nephrotic syndrome. This is a group of problems that can be caused by damage to the glomeruli, including high urine protein levels, low blood protein levels (hypoalbuminemia), high cholesterol and swelling of your eyelids, feet and abdomen.
References
- IgA nephropathy. National Kidney and Urologic Diseases Information Clearinghouse. http://kidney.niddk.nih.gov/kudiseases/pubs/iganephropathy. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Strippoli GF, et al. Evidence-based survey of therapeutic options for IgA nephropathy: Assessment and criticism. American Journal of Kidney Disease. 2003;41(6):1129-1139.
- Glomerulonephritis. MayoClinic.com. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/glomerulonephritis/DS00503. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Donadio JV, et al. The long-term outcome of patients with IgA nephropathy treated with fish oil in a controlled trial. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 1999;10(8):1772-1777.
- Donadio JV, et al. IgA nephropathy. The New England Journal of Medicine. 2002;738-748.
- Coppo R, et al. IgACE: A placebo-controlled, randomized trial of angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitors in children and young people with IgA nephropathy and moderate proteinuria. Journal of the American Society of Nephrology. 2007;18(6):1880-1888.
- Barratt J, et al. Causes and diagnosis of IgA nephropathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index/html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Cattran DC, et al. Treatment and prognosis of IgA nephropathy. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 31, 2008.
- Coppo R, et al. Factors predicting progression of IgA nephropathies. Journal of Nephrology. 2005;18(5):503-512.
- Gharavi AG, et al. IgA nephropathy, the most common cause of glomerulonephritis, is linked to 6q22-23. Nature Genetics. 2000;26:354-357.
