MO314ANA POSITIVITY IN IGA NEPHROPATHY: IS SYSTEMIC LUPUS ERYTHEMATOSUS COMING UP?
Abstract Background and Aim. IgA nephropathy (IgAN) is the most common chronic primary glomerulonephritis leading to progressive renal failure in 1/3 of patients. Although it is a limited non-systemic renal disease, many systemic diseases, such as Systemic Lupus Erythematosus (SLE), are sporadically associated with mesangial IgA deposits. We investigate frequency and meaning of ANA positivity in IgAN. Methods. All biopsy-proven IgAN patients followed in our Unit with ANA positivity were selected. Data are compared by non parametric test (Wilcoxon signed-rank test). Results. 15/68 (22%) IgAN patients resulted ANA+ during a 9-year median follow-up. 10 were females and five were male. Mean age was low. Renal function was normal in 9/15. 24 h Proteinuria was non nephrotic in 15/16. In 10 patients there was low C3. Patient characteristics are summarized in Table 1. At follow-up, renal function did not change significantly (p=NS), however mean 24h-Uprot reduced (p=0.075) Table 2. One male developed SLE, one female a lupus-like Mixed Connective Tissue Disease. Conclusions. Our data suggest that 1) in 22% of IgAN patients ANA positivity could be detected; 2) ANA+ IgAN patients are mostly women with normal renal function and non nephrotic proteinuria; 3) after a median 9-year follow-up, ANA+ IgAN patients, on therapy, presented a stable renal function and a reduced proteinuria; 4) ANA+ IgAN patients could develop SLE. More clinical observations and studies are needed for supporting the hypothesis that IgAN+ANA positivity could be part of a new clinical entity of SLE patients.