Glomerular lesions associated with liver cirrhosis: an immunohistochemical and clinicopathologic analysis

Clinicopathologic and immunohistochemical analyses of the kidneys in 30 autopsy cases of liver cirrhosis of different types revealed glomerular lesions in 27 cases. Clinical nephritis was present in three cases. Characteristic diffuse mesangial proliferation with focal mesangial interposition and/or subendothelial deposits were present. Glomerular immunoglobulin deposition was observed in several cases, IgM in 23 cases, IgG in five, and IgA in 17; the latter were predominantly IgA1. Secretory component binding was found in 11 of the 17 cases with IgA deposits (65 per cent). Liver weight was related to IgA deposition (P approximately 0.05), and the volume of ascitic fluid was significantly correlated (P less than 0.05).