Concurrent Anti-Glomerular Basement Membrane Antibody Disease and Membranous Nephropathy: A Case Series

Abstract

Rationale & objective: Anti-glomerular basement membrane (GBM) disease is a rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis which, in some instances, occurs concurrently with other diseases such as antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA)-associated vasculitis. Rarely, it also occurs with membranous nephropathy (MN). We report a series of such patients, characterizing their long-term follow up.

Study design: Case series.

Setting & participants: Twelve patients referred to 1 medical center between 2001 and 2019 with anti-GBM disease and MN whose clinical characteristics and course were described.

Results: Patients' ages ranged from 20 to 81 years old, and all presented with severe acute kidney injury requiring dialysis on presentation or shortly thereafter. Only 1 patient had pulmonary findings on presentation. The predominant pathology was crescentic and necrotizing glomerulonephritis with linear staining for immunoglobulin G along the GBM associated with epimembranous electron-dense immune-type deposits. All 11 patients who were tested had significant titers of anti-GBM antibodies, but only 1 of the 5 tested for phospholipase A₂ receptor (PLA₂R) on biopsy was positive. Eight patients received therapy with cyclophosphamide, prednisone, and plasmapheresis; 2 patients with prednisone and plasmapheresis; and 2 with rituximab-based regimens. Progression to a requirement for kidney replacement therapy occurred in all 12 patients, but 2 patients later recovered kidney function. Recurrence of anti-GBM disease did not occur for any of the patients studied.

Limitations: Incomplete testing for PLA₂R in biopsy and serum, limited sample size, and lack of uniform treatment regimen.

Conclusions: In this case series, the presentation of concurrent anti-GBM disease and MN was characterized by rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis and poor kidney outcomes. These findings suggest possible value from earlier diagnosis and the need for identification of more effective treatment regimens.

Keywords: anti-GBM disease; case series; concurrent disease; glomerular basement membrane (GBM); glomerulonephritis; membranous nephropathy (MN); renal pathology.