Fibrillary glomerulonephritis presenting as crescentic glomerulonephritis

Updates on the Diagnosis and Management of Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare kidney disease typically affecting individuals in middle age, frequently presenting with advanced renal failure, proteinuria, and hypertension. FGN can be associated with autoimmune diseases, hepatitis C infection, and malignancies. Its exact pathogenesis remains elusive, and the exact role of DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 9 is yet to be determined. On renal biopsy, FGN exhibits distinctive Congo-red-negative, nonbranching fibrils, approximately 20 nm in diameter. DnaJ homolog subfamily B member 9 immunohistochemical staining has become a gold standard for diagnosis. Atypical variants exist, including congophilic, monotypic, and crescentic FGN, highlighting the disease's heterogeneity. Treatment with immunosuppression, including rituximab, has shown variable success, with no standard therapy established. FGN often leads to end-stage kidney disease, with a median progression time of 2-4 years postdiagnosis. Kidney transplantation is a viable option for FGN-related end-stage kidney disease, but recurrence in transplanted kidneys is not rare.

A Case Report of Fibrillary Glomerulonephritis with Mild Albuminuria: A Viewpoint on Proteomics

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare glomerular disorder characterized by the deposition of randomly arranged fibrils in the mesangium and the glomerular basement membrane. Clinical features include massive albuminuria, hematuria, high blood pressure, and kidney failure. Usually, the renal prognosis is not favorable, with evolution to end-stage renal disease in approximately 50% of cases. Recent studies in proteomics have identified a member of the heat shock protein family, also called DNAJB9, which is deposited in the glomerulus of patients with FGN and is not present in other diseases, such as amyloidosis or immunotactoid glomerulopathy. These findings are the first step to clarify the pathogenesis of this disease and could facilitate its diagnosis. Hence, we present a case of FGN with mild albuminuria at baseline and discuss the usefulness of this novel biomarker for diagnosing this group of patients.

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis presenting as crescentic glomerulonephritis in a young female: a case study

Fibrillary glomerulonephritis (FGN) is a rare disorder accounting for up to 1% of all glomerulonephritis (GN). FGN usually manifests as nephrotic or subnephrotic proteinuria, hematuria, and hypertension in patients after the sixth decade. The overall prognosis of FGN is very poor. Crescentic presentation of FGN is uncommon which may be diagnosed as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (RPGN) unless electron microscopy and/or special stains are done. We report a case of a young female who presented as RPGN but diagnosis was revised to crescentic FGN after electron microscopy and immunohistochemical staining with DNAJB9 stain. Patient remained dialysis-dependent after treatment with steroid and cyclophosphamide for 2 months and progressed to end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Crescentic FGN usually does not respond to treatment and invariably progresses to ESRD over few months. This case emphasizes the defining role of electron microscopy and special stains in diagnosing uncommon glomerular diseases.