Rheumatoid arthritis and membranous nephropathy

Abstract

Rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is a chronic inflammatory disease of unknown etiology characterized primarily by symmetric polyarthritis. Although RA is often characterized by the presence of rheumatoid factors and circulating immune complexes, renal involvement is not commonly recognized. Two broad categories of renal disorders can be distinguished in RA: lesions occurring as a result of side-effects of therapeutic agents and lesions caused by the disease itself. Clinically relevant renal lesions in RA are not common. More often renal involvement is related to complications of therapy than the disease itself. The most common forms of primary renal disease in RA are Membranous Glomerulopathy (MG) and a pure mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis. This article reports the case of a 40 year old man who developed Nephrotic Syndrome and interstitial nephritis in presence of a Membranous Glomerulopathy.