In the present study, urinary tumor necrosis factor-alpha (TNF) levels
in nonproliferative glomerulopathies [minimal change disease (n = 4),
focal glomerulosclerosis (n = 4), membranous glomerulonephritis (GN)
(n = 1), and in patients with chronic glomerulopathies (n = 4)] were c
ompared to proliferative ones [a rapidly progressive GN patient and 8
patients with mesangial proliferative GN and membranoproliferative GN
(MPGN) who had clinically active disease]. The mean urine TNF levels o
f the proliferative group were significantly higher than both the nonp
roliferative GN and 4 controls, whereas the mean value of the nonproli
ferative group was not significantly different than the controls. The
urine TNF levels in 4 MPGN patients with chronic disease and in 2 who
entered remission were also very low. In the patients with active rena
l disease and cellular proliferation there were significant correlatio
ns between the urinary TNF levels and both proteinuria and the clinica
l activity scores. We suggest that in human proliferative glomerulopat
hies TNF may be implicated in the glomerular inflammation.