Primary membranous nephropathy (pMN) is an autoimmune disease characterised by the accumulation of immune complexes in the renal glomeruli. It is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults.
Antibodies to the phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) occur in 70% to 80% of patients. Less frequently (in up to 10%), antibodies against thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) are determined. The detection of antibodies in serum is crucial for the diagnosis of pMN and may make a kidney biopsy unnecessary. In addition, disease activity and therapy response can be monitored by the measurement of the autoantibodies.
Do you suffer from membranous nephropathy? Learn more about the disease, its diagnosis and therapy monitoring.
Are you a physician or laboratory technician? Here you will find detailed information on the disease, laboratory diagnostics and therapy monitoring.
Are you interested in further specialised information? Exciting scientific lectures and webinars on membranous nephropathy can be found here.
07.03.2023
New animation video
Watch our new explanatory video about membranous nephropathy and anti-PLA2R antibody detection. In this video you will learn more about a possible diagnosis without biopsy.
Click here for the video.01.04.2022
Final episode of the Autoimmune Nephrology Webinar Series
In the third part of our webinar series, Dr. Benard Collins, Technical Director of the R&D Immunopathology at Massachusetts General Hospital in Boston, will speak about the available tests for detection of autoantibodies in MN and describe the strategy for the discovery of novel MN antigens in renal biopsies. Join us on April 21, 11:00 AM ET (5:00 PM CET) for his presentation, “Detection of PLA2R and Other Antigens in Renal Biopsies as a Cause of Primary Membranous Nephropathy” .
Watch teaser video.15.11.2021
New guideline recognises anti-PLA2R as a significant biomarker for membranous nephropathy
In October 2021, the organisation KDIGO (Kidney Disease: Improving Clinical Outcomes) published an updated version of the clinical guideline for the management of patients with glomerulonephritis. In it, it recommends the determination of anti-PLA2R antibodies for the diagnosis of primary membranous nephropathy, as well as its prognosis and treatment monitoring.
Read more on our blog.