IgA nephropathy: 30 years on

Thirty years since its discovery, IgA nephropathy (IgAN) has turned out to be the commonest primary glomerulonephritis around the world. The major presenting symptom is haematuria, with or without proteinuria. IgAN was initially considered a benign disease, but long-term follow-up studies have shown the course to be slowly progressive with up to 50% of the patients developing terminal renal failure after several decades. The aetiology and pathogenesis are still unclear, but IgAN seems to be associated with a dysregulation of the immune response which is not very well understood. There is today no specific treatment. Effective blood pressure control is the cornerstone of therapy.