[Glomerulopathies during hepatic disease (author's transl)]

Abstract

Glomerular lesions essentially characterized by IgA deposits are very frequent in the course of alcoholic hepatopathies. Such glomerular lesions might be due to the deposition of the circulating immune complexes. Portal hypertension, by altering the epuration function of the liver could be one determining factor. The presence of similar glomerular lesions in other non alcoholic hepatopathies with portal hypertension and in experimental portal hypertension support such an hypothesis. In other circumstances where the liver disease is directly related to a viral or a parasitic agent glomerular lesion of the type seen in circulating immune complexes disease are also encountered. However in such a situation there is no evidence that the hepatic disease bears any influence on the renal disease.