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Collapsing glomerulopathy in collagen vascular-like disease
Insights
Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) can present with collagen vascular-like disease, marked by severe proteinuria and renal insufficiency. Rheumatologists should consider this podocytopathy in patients with serological abnormalities but few clinical symptoms.
Area of Science:
- Nephrology
- Rheumatology
- Immunology
Background:
- Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) is a severe podocytopathy often linked to viral infections or defined collagen vascular diseases like lupus.
- A subset of patients presents with serological abnormalities suggestive of autoimmune disease but lacks definitive clinical criteria.
Observation:
- This study details four new cases of CG with collagen vascular-like disease and reviews 14 similar cases from the literature.
- Patients typically present with severe nephrotic-range proteinuria and kidney failure resistant to standard treatments.
Findings:
- These patients exhibit positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) and other significant serological markers without clear clinical rheumatologic diagnoses.
- Most affected individuals progress to requiring dialysis.
- Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) shows potential as a therapeutic option.
Implications:
- Rheumatologists should be aware of CG as a potential diagnosis in patients with unexplained proteinuria and renal insufficiency.
- Early recognition and appropriate consultation are crucial for managing this challenging podocytopathy.
Objective:
Collapsing glomerulopathy (CG) is a podocytopathy that is usually associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) and parvovirus B19 infections. CG has been reported in association with definite collagen vascular diseases, mainly systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). There are a few case reports in the nephrology literature of patients with CG and marked serological abnormalities who do not have sufficient clinical findings to diagnose definite collagen vascular disease. We wish to expand the spectrum of rheumatologic disease that accompanies CG. We describe four patients with CG and collagen vascular-like disease and compare these with 14 similar cases reported in the medical literature.
Methods:
Case reports of four new patients with CG and collagen vascular-like disease are presented. We performed a systematic literature review to find all other cases and construct a profile of patients with CG and collagen vascular-like disease.
Results:
All patients had a similar mode of presentation with severe nephrotic range proteinuria and renal insufficiency resistant to steroids and usual immunomodulatory therapy. All patients had positive antinuclear antibodies (ANA) as well as other marked serological abnormalities but few if any clinical findings that would allow for a definitive diagnosis of a specific collagen vascular disease. Almost all patients became dialysis dependent. Mycophenolate mofetil (MMF) may possibly be a therapeutic option.
Conclusion:
Rheumatologists may be asked to consult on patients with severe proteinuria and renal insufficiency in the presence of marked serological abnormalities but few clinical symptoms and should be aware of this podocytopathy.
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