Why does iga nephropathy occur

These tests are: Urine test: A urine test will help find protein and blood in your urine. Blood test: A blood test will help find levels of protein, cholesterol, and wastes in your blood.

Glomerular filtration rate GFR : A blood test will be done to know how well your kidneys are filtering the wastes from your body. Kidney biopsy: In this test, a tiny piece of your kidney is removed with a special needle, and looked at under a microscope. The kidney biopsy may show if you have a certain type of a protein that helps your body fight infection, called an IgA antibody, in the glomerulus.

How is IgA Nephropathy treated? Will I have kidney failure because of IgAN? Where can I find more information? If you have more questions, you should speak with your doctor or healthcare professional. You can also get more information from:. COVID patients can become kidney patients. You can provide lifesaving support today with a special monthly gift. Doctors and scientists do not know what causes IgA nephropathy. Although it sometimes happens after you have a cold or a similar infection, it can also happen if you have not had any infection.

More common complications of IgA nephropathy include high blood pressure and high cholesterol. Having too much cholesterol in your blood raises your chances of having heart problems.

There is no cure for IgA nephropathy, but treatments can help to prevent more damage to your kidneys. If you have IgA nephropathy, you should have regular tests for kidney health. Your health care provider might tell you to take a type of medicine called an ACE inhibitor or ARB to control your blood pressure and prevent protein from being lost in your urine. You might also need to change your diet and take medicine to lower your cholesterol.

Your health care provider can refer you to a dietitian who can help you plan a diet that will work for you to help you lower your cholesterol.

In some cases, a medicine called an immune suppressant might be recommended. Bouts of visible blood in the urine from this disease often occur during or immediately after other short-term illnesses, such as an upper respiratory infection. In addition to blood in the urine, people with IgA can have protein in the urine as well.

The amount of protein in the urine is generally less than 3. It can sometimes result in significant leg swelling and fluid retention. IgA can be suspected from blood or protein in the urine and other symptoms. But it can only be diagnosed by a kidney biopsy. This disease is common, but there is no single treatment about which all doctors agree. This is in part because of the disease tends to progress very slowly, if at all.

Many of the drugs that could be used in treatment can be very harmful. It is generally accepted that blood pressure control and limiting the amount of protein in the urine are of primary importance. Both of these goals can often be accomplished with the use of two types of blood pressure medications. Another commonly used agent is Fish Oil. Studies do not agree on its true benefit.

However, its lack of serious side-effects leads many doctors to recommend it. This disease is essentially an over-activation of the immune system. Therefore, many immunosuppressive drugs have been tried with varying success. The most widely used are steroids, given either through a needle, by mouth, or both for at least 6 months. IgA often progresses slowly. Doctors may simply follow some patients with normal renal function and minimal protein in the urine without starting any therapy at all.

Some patients spontaneously undergo a complete remission of symptoms and never experience a loss of kidney function. More often, the symptoms will stabilize, or the disease will progress slowly.

This requires either dialysis or a kidney transplant. Kidney cross section Open pop-up dialog box Close. Kidney cross section Blood enters your kidneys through your renal arteries. Share on: Facebook Twitter. Show references IgA nephropathy. National Kidney Foundation. Accessed March 27, Gilbert SJ, et al, eds. Immunoglobulin A nephropathy and related disorders. Philadelphia, PA. Accessed March 29, Rodrigues JC, et al. IgA nephropathy. Clinical Journal of the American Society of Nephrology.

Glomerular diseases. Warner KJ.