The clinicopathological features of patients with membranous nephropathy

Background: Membranous nephropathy (MN) represents a distinct glomerular disease which has been considered as a major cause of nephrotic syndrome (NS) in adults. Evidences show that the clinicopathological features of MN are various among MN cases. This study aimed to summarize and analyze the clinicopathological features of patients with MN. Methods: A total of 231 MN patients were recruited in this study. Their clinical and pathological features were collected and analyzed according to their age, gender, pathological stages, and anti-phospholipase A2 receptor (anti-PLA2R) antibodies tests. Results: Among the 231 MN cases, the ratio of male to female was 1.47 and the mean age was 47.43 +/- 14.32 years. Altogether, 163 (70.6%) cases were positive for NS. Their serum antiPLA2R, body mass index, total cholesterol, triglyceride, low density lipoprotein cholesterol, D2, IgA, and IgE were increased, but IgG was decreased. The majority of the patients were middle aged and old aged. In addition, the pathological stage was significantly correlated with gender (P=0.038), creatinine, (P=0.021) and IgE (P=0.003). A total of 74.9% MN patients were found to be positive for anti-PLA2R antibodies, and they were more likely to have abnormal serum indices. Conclusion: The major clinicopathological characteristics of MN patients are summarized in this study. Male and elder MN cases are likely to have rapid disease progression. Advanced pathological stages and being positive for anti-PLA2R antibodies may be potential indicators for disease activity of MN.