Questionable role of soy protein in childhood IgA nephropathy

By means of indirect immunofluorescence, the glomerular deposition of soy protein was studied in renal biopsy specimens from 16 children (aged 4-18 years) with IgA nephropathy. In addition, serum anti-soy protein IgA antibody was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. Glomerular immunofluorescence for soy protein was not found in any of the preparations studied, both without and with citrate buffer treatment, and there was no significant difference in the concentration of serum anti-soy protein IgA antibody between the 13 patients studied and 13 age- and sex-matched controls. It is thus unlikely that soy protein plays a crucial role in the pathogenesis of childhood IgA nephropathy.