Volume 2020, Issue 1 8863858
Case Series
Open Access

IgA Vasculitis Nephritis: A Case Series and Comparison of Treatment Guidelines

Abdalhamid Al Harash

Abdalhamid Al Harash

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA ahn.org

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Stephanie Saeli

Stephanie Saeli

Department of Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA ahn.org

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Michael Lucke

Michael Lucke

Division of Rheumatology, Department of Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA ahn.org

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Swati Arora

Corresponding Author

Swati Arora

Division of Nephrology, Department of Medicine, Allegheny Health Network, Pittsburgh, PA, USA ahn.org

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First published: 02 December 2020
Citations: 4
Academic Editor: Tsai Ching Hsu

Abstract

Immunoglobulin A (IgA) vasculitis nephritis (IgAVN) and IgA nephropathy (IgAN) share many pathological parallels and are viewed as related diseases by many groups. Current treatment guidelines remain vague, controversial, and without consensus, especially regarding the role of immunosuppressive medications. We present five cases of IgAVN encountered at our tertiary care center between 2016 and 2020, which were treated with different immunosuppression regimens. Infection was the leading cause of death in this series. These cases provide evidence that IgAVN should be distinguished from IgAN on a spectrum of IgA-associated glomerulonephritis. The outcomes presented herein suggest that the morbidity and systematic involvement IgAVN is greater than previously believed and that these substantial risks should be reflected in contemporary treatment guidelines.

Conflicts of Interest

The authors declare that they have no conflicts of interest.

Data Availability

Data used to support the findings of the study are available from the corresponding author upon request, after removing the patient identifiers.

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