B lymphocyte subset patterns and their significance in idiopathic glomerulonephritis.

The proportion of B lymphocyte subsets with surface immunoglobulin G (sIgG) was significantly increased in minimal change nephrotic syndrome (MCNS), membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy and mesangiocapillary glomerulonephritis (MCGN) and with sIgA in IgA nephropathy and MCGN, and with sIgE in MCNS. Increased subsets in membranous nephropathy, IgA nephropathy and MCGN corresponded to the immunoglobulins deposited in the glomeruli, and the increased subset of sIgE in MCNS was correlated with the elevation of serum IgE. These results suggest that each disease studied has a characteristic subset pattern of B lymphocyte response. This may have an important role in determining the histological type of idiopathic glomerulonephritis.