The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 76, Issue 6 , Pages 1106-1112 , June 1984

Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis in a patient with syphilis: Identification of antitreponemal antibody and treponemal antigen in renal tissue

  • Patrick D. Walker, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • Corresponding Author InformationRequests for reprints should be addressed to Dr. Patrick D. Walker, Department of Pathology, Tulane University School of Medicine, 1430 Tulane Avenue, New Orleans, Louisiana 70112.
    • From the Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
    • ,
  • Erin C. Deeves, B.S.

      Affiliations

    • From the Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
    • ,
  • Glayol Sahba

      Affiliations

    • From the Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
    • ,
  • John D. Wallin, M.D.

      Affiliations

    • From the Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.
    • ,
  • William M. O'Neill Jr., M.D.

      Affiliations

    • From the Departments of Pathology and Internal Medicine (Nephrology), Tulane University School of Medicine, New Orleans, Louisiana.

,Accepted 23 June 1983.

References 

  1. Thomas EW, Schur M. Clinical nephropathies in early syphilis. Arch Intern Med. 1946;78:679–686
  2. Braunstein GD, Lewis EJ, Galvanek EG, Hamilton A, Bell WR. The nephrotic syndrome associated with secondary syphilis: an immune deposit disease. Am J Med. 1970;48:643–648
  3. Gamble CN, Reardan JB. Immunopathogenesis of syphilitic glomerulonephritis: elution of antitreponemal antibody from glomerular immune-complex deposits. N Engl J Med. 1975;292:449–454
  4. O'Regan S, Fong JSC, de Chadarevian JP, Rishikof JR, Drummond KN. Treponemal antigens in congenital and acquired syphilitic nephritis. Ann Intern Med. 1976;85:325–327
  5. Tourville DR, Byrd LH, Kim DU, et al. Treponemal antigen in immunopathogenesis of syphilitic glomerulonephritis. Am J Pathol. 1976;82:479–492
  6. Wiggelinkhuizen J, Kaschula ROC, Uys CJ, Kuijten RH, Dale J. Congenital syphilis and glomerulonephritis with evidence for immune pathogenesis. Arch Dis Child. 1973;48:375–381
  7. Kaschula ROC, Uys CJ, Kuijten RH, Dale JRP, Wiggelinkhuizen J. Nephrotic syndrome of congenital syphilis: biopsy studies in four cases. Arch Pathol. 1974;97:289–296
  8. Losito A, Bucciarelli E, Massi-Benedetti F, Lato M. Membranous glomerulonephritis in congenital syphilis. Clin Nephrol. 1979;12:32–37
  9. Eknoyan G, Dillman RO. Renal complications of infectious diseases. Med Clin North Am. 1978;62:979–1003
  10. Bacani RA, Velasquez F, Kanter A, Pirani CL, Pollack VE. Rapidly progressive (non-streptococcal) glomerulonephritis. Ann Intern Med. 1968;69:463–485
  11. Cameron JS, Ogg CS. Rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis with extensive crescents. In:  Kincaid-Smith P,  Mathew TH,  Becker EL editor. Glomerulonephritis: morphology, natural history and treatment. New York: John Wiley and Sons; 1973;p. 735–738Part 2
  12. O'Neill WM, Etheridge WB, Bloomer HA. High dose corticosteroids: their use in treating idiopathic rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Arch Intern Med. 1979;139:514–518
  13. Feltkamp TEW, Boode JH. Elution of antibodies from biopsy tissue. J Clin Pathol. 1970;23:629–631
  14. Fournier JA. Traite de syphilis. In: 1906;p. 21;Quoted in:Dowling GB. Syphilitic nephritis. Br Med J. 1925;2:551–552
  15. Yampolsky J, Mullins DF. Acute glomerular nephritis in an infant with congenital syphilis. Am J Dis Child. 1945;69:163–172
  16. Oredugba O, Mazumdar DC, Meyer JS, Lubowitz H. Pulse methylprednisolone therapy in idiopathic, rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. Ann Intern Med. 1980;92:504–506
  17. Lockwood CM, Pinching AJ, Sweny P, et al. Plasma-exchange and immunosuppression in the treatment of fulminating immune-complex crescentic nephritis. Lancet. 1977;I:63–67

☆ This work was presented in part at the 71st Annual Meeting of the United States-Canadian Division of the International Academy of Pathology, Boston, Massachusetts, March 1982.

PII: 0002-9343(84)90866-0

The American Journal of Medicine
Volume 76, Issue 6 , Pages 1106-1112 , June 1984

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