S. Inaba et al., SERUM TUMOR-NECROSIS-FACTOR IN MESANGIAL IGA GLOMERULONEPHRITIS WITH MACROSCOPIC HEMATURIA IN CHILDREN, Nephron, 72(4), 1996, pp. 518-522
Tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-alpha and interferon (IFN)-gamma levels we
re measured in the sera obtained from 29 patients with IgA glomerulone
phritis (IgA GN), 8 patients with minimal change nephrotic syndrome (M
CNS) and 12 patients with upper respiratory tract infection (URI) with
out renal diseases in children. The serum TNF-alpha level of IgA GN wa
s 123.0 +/- 175.4 pg/ml, MCNS was 4.9 +/- 4.0 pg/ml and URI was 10.5 /- 4.5 pg/ml respectively. The serum TNF-a level of IgA GN was signifi
cantly higher than those of MCNS and URI. The serum TNF-alpha level of
URI was on the high trend compared with that of MCNS, but was not sta
tistically significant. Although the TNF-alpha level was related to me
sangial cell proliferation in patients with IgA GN, it was unrelated t
o the grade of mesangial matrix expansion and magnitude of proteinuria
. In 17 patients with IgA GN having macroscopic hematuria, the serum T
NF-alpha level was 190.5 +/- 201.6 pg/ml, and in other IgA GN patients
with microscopic hematuria it was 37.4 +/- 75.7 pg/ml. The serum TNF-
alpha level of IgA GN with macroscopic hematuria was significantly hig
her than that with microscopic hematuria. In 6 patients with IgA GN wi
th macroscopic hematuria, the serum TNF-alpha level was significantly
decreased after macroscopic hematuria disappeared. The mean serum IFN-
gamma level of IgA GN was 0.3 +/- 0.6 IU/ml, and MCNS was not detectab
le. Although the serum IFN-gamma level was related to mesangial cell p
roliferation in patients with IgA GN, it was unrelated to magnitude of
proteinuria, the grade of mesangial matrix expansion and also the pre
sence or absence of macroscopic hematuria. We suggest that macroscopic
hematuria of IgA GN was closely related to the serum TNF-alpha level.