ALCOHOL COMSUMPTION AND IGA MESANGIAL GLO MERULONEPHRITIS - (BERGERS-DISEASE)

Alcohol ingestion is considered as a possible pathogenic agent for Ber ger's disease since Iga mensangial deposits have been decribed in live r cirrhosis. Aiming to assess this issue, 28 patients with Berger's di sease (BD) and 40 patients with other glomerulopathies (NBD), were sub jected to an enquiry about alcohol ingestion. Data was corroborated wi th 21 close relatives of BD patients and 34 relatives of NBD patients. No differences were observed in reported alcohol intake between BD pa tients and their relatives, however relatives of NBD patients underest imated their alcohol intake. No differences in alcohol intake, either self reported or reported by relatives, were observed between ED and N BD patients. It is concluded that no differences in alcohol intake wer e observed between patients with Berger's disease and subjects with ot her glomerulopathies.