Canine IgA glomerulonephropathy

Three young intact male dogs housed together in a canine blood donor facility developed immune complex glomerulonephropathy within 2 years of each other. All three had membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis with varying clinical presentation and progression. Two dogs had subendothelial, and one dog subepithelial, electron microscopic dense deposits. Immunoperoxidase staining indicated that the primary antibody involved in the glomerular disease of these three dogs was IgA. The nature of the electron dense deposits was further studied by eluting and identifying immunoglobulin from affected kidneys of one dog. The primary antibody identified had a molecular weight greater than 300,000 Da and was determined to be IgA. Although IgA glomerulonephropathy is a common cause of glomerular disease in humans, this study represents the first documentation of the clinical syndrome of IgA glomerulonephropathy in the dog.