Diagnosis of IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis

Yassaman Raissian, Samih H. Nasr, Christopher P. Larsen, Robert B. Colvin, Thomas C. Smyrk, Naoki Takahashi, Ami Bhalodia, Aliyah R. Sohani, Lizhi Zhang, Suresh Chari, Sanjeev Sethi, Mary E. Fidler, Lynn D. Cornell

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

241 Scopus citations

Abstract

IgG4-related systemic disease is an autoimmune disease that was first recognized in the pancreas but also affects other organs. This disease may manifest as tubulointerstitial nephritis (IgG4-TIN), but its clinicopathologic features in the kidney are not well described. Of the 35 patients with IgG4-TIN whose renal tissue specimens we examined, 27 (77%) had acute or progressive chronic renal failure, 29 (83%) had involvement of other organ systems, and 18 of 23 (78%) had radiographic abnormalities. Elevated total IgG or IgG4 serum levels were present in 79%. All pathologic specimens featured plasma cell - rich TIN, with most showing diffuse, expansile interstitial fibrosis. Immune complexes along the tubular basement membranes were present in 25 of 30 (83%). All specimens had a moderate to marked increase in IgG4+ plasma cells by immunohistochemistry. We used a control group of 175 pathologic specimens with plasma cell - rich interstitial infiltrates that can mimic IgG4-TIN to examine the diagnostic utility of IgG4 immunostaining. Excluding pauci-immune necrotizing and crescentic glomerulonephritis, IgG4 immunohistochemistry had a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI 90-100%) and a specificity of 92% (95% CI 86-95%) for IgG4-TIN. Of the 19 patients with renal failure for whom treatment and follow-up data were available, 17 (89%) responded to prednisone. In summary, because no single test definitively diagnoses IgG4-related systemic disease, we rely on a combination of histologic, immunophenotypic, clinical, radiographic, and laboratory features. When the disease manifests in the kidney, our data support diagnostic criteria that can distinguish IgG4-TIN from other types of TIN.

Original languageEnglish (US)
Pages (from-to)1343-1352
Number of pages10
JournalJournal of the American Society of Nephrology
Volume22
Issue number7
DOIs
StatePublished - Jul 2011

ASJC Scopus subject areas

  • General Medicine

Fingerprint

Dive into the research topics of 'Diagnosis of IgG4-related tubulointerstitial nephritis'. Together they form a unique fingerprint.

Cite this