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Circulating HBsAg/IgG complexes in idiopathic chronic glomerulonephritis
1Department of Internal Medicine, Soonchunhyang University Chunan Hospital, Chungnam, Korea.
Insights
Hepatitis B surface antigen/IgG complexes (HBsAg/IgG CX) were quantified in patients with liver disease and kidney conditions. These complexes are not causative of membranous or membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis.
Area of Science:
- Hepatology
- Nephrology
- Immunology
Background:
- Hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a global health concern.
- Hepatitis B surface antigen/IgG complexes (HBsAg/IgG CX) are implicated in various immune responses.
- The role of HBsAg/IgG CX in the pathogenesis of glomerular diseases remains unclear.
Purpose of the Study:
- To quantitatively measure HBsAg/IgG CX in patients with liver disease and glomerular diseases.
- To investigate the association between HBsAg/IgG CX levels and the presence of glomerulonephritis.
- To determine if HBsAg/IgG CX are causative agents of membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) and membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN).
Main Methods:
- Quantitative ELISA was used to measure HBsAg/IgG CX in serum samples.
- Serum samples were collected from patients with liver disease, MGN, MPGN, and healthy HBsAg carriers.
- Statistical analysis was performed to compare HBsAg/IgG CX levels across different groups.
Main Results:
- HBsAg/IgG CX were detected in 74.3% of liver disease patients, 10% of healthy carriers, 12.5% of MGN patients, and 14.3% of MPGN patients.
- HBsAg/IgG CX were significantly larger and more widespread in liver disease patients compared to healthy carriers and patients with glomerular diseases.
- No liver disease patients with detectable HBsAg/IgG CX developed glomerulopathy.
Conclusions:
- HBsAg/IgG CX are frequently found in patients with liver disease.
- The presence and characteristics of HBsAg/IgG CX in liver disease patients do not correlate with the development of MGN or MPGN.
- HBsAg/IgG CX in plasma are unlikely to be causative agents of MGN and MPGN.
Abstract:
We measured HBsAg/IgG complexes (CX) quantitatively by ELISA from HBsAg positive serum of 35 liver disease patients, 15 patients with glomerular diseases (8 membranous glomerulonephritis (MGN) 7 membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN), and 50 healthy carriers of HBsAg. HbsAg/IgG CX was detected in 26 out of 35 liver disease patients (74.3%), 5 out of 50 healthy carriers (10%), and one of both 8 MGN patients (12.5%) and 7 MPGN patients (14.3%). HBsAg/IgG CX was big in size and wide spread in the liver disease groups but negligible in the healthy carrier group (41 +/- 2.6 ng/ml, n = 5) and MGN (50 ng/ml, n = 1) and MPGN (42 ng/ml, n = 1) group. In the liver disease group, no one suffered from glomerulopathy even with a wide spectrum of HBsAg/IgG CX. These results suggest that HBsAg/IgG CX in plasma is non causative of MGN and MPGN.