Summary of the Pathogenesis of IgA Nephropathy

As in so many conditions, the causes of IgA nephropathy and its close relative, Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP), remain obscure despite considerable efforts in human and animal experimentation. However, such efforts over the past ten years have taught us something about the mechanisms involved in mesangial IgA nephritis and this chapter reviews this knowledge, paying special tribute to those involved and emphasizing areas that may prove ultimately to be of diagnostic, prognostic, or therapeutic value to patients with IgA nephropathy.