GOLD NEPHROPATHY - ULTRASTRUCTURAL, FLUORESCENCE, AND MICROANALYTIC STUDIES OF 2 PATIENTS

  • 1 January 1976
    • journal article
    • research article
    • Vol. 100  (12) , 632-635
Abstract
Renal biopsy specimens from 2 patients with Au nephropathy showed 2 distinctly different types of alterations. The 1st demonstrated lesions suggestive of immunologic injury primarily to the glomerulus and identical with membranous glomerulonephritis. The 2nd had no evidence of immunologic injury, but contained extensive vasuolar degeneration of proximal tubular epithelial cells. Ultrastructurally, the vacuoles contained lipid materials and occupied the basal portion of the cells. Other tubular cells contained numerous Au-containing cytosegresomes. In this 2nd specimen, it appeared that the filtered Au had a direct toxic effect on the tubular epithelium and perhaps also on the glomerular capillary wall. Au nephropathy may be a spectrum of a combination of both direct toxic and immunologic injury to glomeruli and tubules.

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