[Nephrotic syndrome presumable caused by an complex glomerulonephritis (author's transl)]

The nephrotic syndrome presumably caused by an immune complex glomerulonephritis constitutes a major side effect attendant upon chronic administration of penicillamine. The possible induction of an immune-complex glomerulonephritis by penicillamine and its further development after stopping the drug was investigated in rats. --60 rats were fed perorally 2000 mg D-Penicillamine/kg BW/die resp. for a period of 8--44 days. Following unilateral nephrectomy the animals were observed for further 5 weeks. --Dependent to the time of penicillamine application there was an increasing deposition of IgG and C3 in a granular pattern along the glomerular basement membrane and within the mesangium. The IgG deposits initially were focal and segmental later on diffuse and global in distribution. 5 weeks after stopping the penicillamine the immune globulin deposits had disappeared completely or at least in part as did the mild focal glomerulonephritis and the moderate proteinuria which developed in some animals after a 44 day treatment with penicillamine. --The results confirm the hitherto presumed immune complex pathogenesis of the penicillamine induced nephropathy. The disappearance of the immunoglobulins deposited and of proteinuria stopping penicillamine alludes the good prognosis of this kind of nephropathy.