Antibody type IgM scheme.
Blue - heavy chains, Yellow — light chains, Dark yellow/blue — variable regions (ends are binding sites), Light yellow/blue — constant regions, Green — disulfide bridges, Black — J chain
IgM nephropathy or immunoglobulin M nephropathy (IgMN) is a kind of idiopathic glomerulonephritis that is marked by IgM diffuse deposits in the glomerular mesangium.[1] IgM nephropathy was initially documented in 1978 by two separate teams of researchers.[2]
It is yet unknown how IgM nephropathy develops, however it has been proposed that aberrant T-cell activity or a disruption in mesangial cell immunoaggregate clearance may be involved.[6][7] Several investigations have found that patients with IgM nephropathy have higher blood IgM or IgM immunocomplex concentrations, which would provide support to the previously indicated idea.[8][9]
^Bhasin, H K; Abuelo, J G; Nayak, R; Esparza, A R (July 1978). "Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis". Laboratory Investigation; A Journal of Technical Methods and Pathology. 39 (1): 21–29. PMID355724.
^Salmon, A. H. J.; Kamel, D.; Mathieson, P. W. (2004-09-23). "Recurrence of IgM nephropathy in a renal allograft". Nephrology Dialysis Transplantation. 19 (10). Oxford University Press (OUP): 2650–2652. doi:10.1093/ndt/gfh434. ISSN0931-0509. PMID15388823.
^Cavallo, T.; Johnson, M.P. (1981). "Immunopathologic Study of Minimal Change Glomerular Disease with Mesangial IgM Deposits". Nephron. 27 (6). S. Karger AG: 281–284. doi:10.1159/000182071. ISSN1660-8151. PMID7266716.
^Lin, Ching-Yuang; Chen, Chih-Hsin; Lee, Piau-Po (1989). "In vitro B-lymphocyte switch disturbance from IgM into IgG in IgM mesangial nephropathy". Pediatric Nephrology. 3 (3). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 254–258. doi:10.1007/bf00858525. ISSN0931-041X. PMID2702103.
^ abBrugnano, R.; Del Sordo, R.; Covarelli, C.; Gnappi, E.; Pasquali, S. (2016-02-03). "IgM nephropathy: is it closer to minimal change disease or to focal segmental glomerulosclerosis?". Journal of Nephrology. 29 (4). Springer Science and Business Media LLC: 479–486. doi:10.1007/s40620-016-0269-6. ISSN1121-8428. PMID26842624.