RECURRENT TYPE-III MEMBRANOPROLIFERATIVE GLOMERULONEPHRITIS AFTER KIDNEY-TRANSPLANTATION

The first well-documented case of recurrent type III membranoprolifera tive glomerulonephritis after kidney transplantation is reported in th is article. A 48-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of nephrotic syndrome and moderate renal failure. The renal biopsy showed double-contour images at light microscopy. Electron microscopy reveal ed electron-dense deposits in the mesangium and in both the subepithel ial and subendothelial sides of the basement membrane. Subepithelial d eposits were sometimes hump-like and produced an irregular disruption of the lamina densa. A diagnosis of type III membranoproliferative glo merulonephritis was suggested. The patient had a rapid decrease in ren al function and received dialysis in 3 months. Three years later, he r eceived a cadaveric kidney transplant, and subsequently recovered norm al renal function Proteinuria appeared after 13 months, and a biopsy o f the graft demonstrated recurrence of the original disease. Seven yea rs after transplantation he returned to hemodialysis.