Antibodies against several podocyte antigens have evolved as markers of diagnosis, disease activity, and prognosis in membranous nephropathy, but their pathogenic role remains debated. Detailed work-up of two cases of primary and secondary membranous nephropathy now supports the concept that thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A autoantibodies are pathogenic.
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Acknowledgements
The authors thank Pierre Ronco, Pierre et Marie Curie University and Tenon Hospital, Paris, for reviewing the manuscript before submission. H.-J.A. is supported by the European Union's Horizon 2020 research and innovation program under grant agreement No. 668036 (RELENT). The views expressed here are the responsibility of the author(s) only. The EU Commission takes no responsibility for any use made of the information set out.
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Anders, HJ., Ponticelli, C. Membranous nephropathy and the Henle–Koch postulates. Nat Rev Nephrol 12, 447–448 (2016). https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2016.86
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1038/nrneph.2016.86
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