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Extramembranous deposits and “membranous” glomerulonephritis

Their fine structure, development, and correlation

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Summary

In 15 renal puncture biopsies from 14 patients, electron microscopy revealed extramembranous deposits (EMD) in various developmental stages (or their residues) in glomerular capillaries. Florid EMD exhibited a regular granular substructure as well as a typical localization within the subpodocytal space. Ultrastructurally, a gradual regression of EMD and their incorporation into the basement membrane could be observed. Early florid EMD were found in acute glomerulonephritis or in the nephrotic syndrome persisting for several months, with only discrete to absent “membranous” changes with light microscopy. Late stages of EMD with predominantly degenerative changes of glomerular basement membranes and apparent “membranous” thickening in light microscopy, on the other hand, were characteristic of the nephrotic syndrome lasting for several years. At early stages of EMD, long-lasting remission up to clinical healing were observed in a half of the cases studied, whereas at a late “membranous” stage long-lasting remission took place only once in six cases.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Pediatrics in Praha-Krč, Research Centre of Organ Transplantation of the Institute for Clinical and Experimental Medicine and Postgraduate Medical Institute, Czechoslovakia

    P. Rossmann, J. Jirka & L. Hradcová

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  1. P. Rossmann
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  2. J. Jirka
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  3. L. Hradcová
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Rossmann, P., Jirka, J. & Hradcová, L. Extramembranous deposits and “membranous” glomerulonephritis. Virchows Arch. Abt. A Path. Anat. 356, 293–306 (1972). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00548964

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