Association between scleroderma, renal cell carcinoma and membranous nephropathy

We report a patient with scleroderma, renal cell carcinoma (RCC) and membranous nephropathy (MN). Certain clinical and laboratory features suggested that RCC caused or enhanced the other two conditions. A 55-year-old man developed scleroderma which progressed rapidly during its first 2 years with development of hypertension and acute renal failure, peak serum creatinine (SCr) 327 micromol/l (3.7 mg/dl) and partial improvement of the renal function (SCr 239 micromol/l or 2.7 mg/dl) after initiation of an angiotensin converting enzyme inhibitor. He subsequently developed nephrotic syndrome (urine protein excretion 9 gm/24-h) and progressive renal failure, with SCr 469 +/- 18 micromol/l (5.3 +/- 0.2 mg/dl). An anti-nuclear mitotic apparatus protein (NUMA) antibody, which is uncommon in scleroderma but has been linked to certain malignancies, was found in his serum. A left upper pole RCC was removed by heminephrectomy. MN was found in the renal parenchyma adjacent to the excised tumor. In the 3.5 years following surgery, the clinical manifestations of scleroderma have been arrested while the medications prescribed for this condition have been greatly reduced. Proteinuria is consistently less than 1 gm/24-h and 42 months after surgery serum creatinine was 256 micromol/l (2.9 mg/dl). Nutrition has also improved. Although this case may represent chance occurrence of three uncommon diseases (scleroderma, RCC, MN) in the same individual, the sustained improvement of the manifestations of scleroderma and MN after resection of the RCC contrasted to the rapid course of these conditions until the surgery, and the presence in the patient's serum of an autoantibody which is uncommon in patients with scleroderma, but has been linked to malignancy, suggest a pathogenetic relationship between the three conditions.