Membranous nephropathy: genetics, antigens and antibodies

Authors: Karen Courville1, Norman Bustamante2

Membranous nephropathy is a kidney disorder that thickens the glomerular basement membrane, leading to nephrotic syndrome. It can be caused by various underlying conditions and accounts for 30 to 40% of cases of nephrotic syndrome in adults. Recent research has discovered antigens, antibodies, and genes involved in the disease, leading to a new classification system. Further research is ongoing to better understand the antigens involved in membranous nephropathy and may lead to more discoveries in the future.