Mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis with or without IgA deposits: the morphological characters in psoriasis vulgaris.

BACKGROUND/AIM: Chronic glomerulonephritides associated with psoriasis vulgaris have been reported in the literature. However, because of the limited number of cases and the lack of specific histological findings, the existence of psoriatic nephropathy remains controversial. This study was performed to investigate the clinical and morphological characteristics of renal involvement in psoriasis vulgaris.

METHODS

We studied retrospectively 11 patients with psoriasis vulgaris. All patients had nephritic urinary sediments and underwent percutaneous renal biopsy between January 1997 and December 2006. To fulfill the criteria for the study, none of them had any other discernible chronic disease as a second cause of nephropathy, except for long-standing psoriasis vulgaris.

RESULTS

Of the 11 patients, 2 (18%) had impaired renal function and 9 (82%) presented with hematuria. Proteinuria was noted in all patients. Their mean peak ESR was 28.3 +/- 29.1 mm/1st h. Renal biopsy specimens revealed common histological features of slight-to-moderate mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis, with (73%) or without IgA depositions in the mesangial area. Inflammation and vascular lesions were unremarkable in the biopsy specimens.

CONCLUSION

The results from this study demonstrate that mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis with or without IgA deposits might be the major morphological pattern associated with psoriasis vulgaris.