Conclusion
C5b-9 glomerular staining is a powerful and easily accessible tool for stratifying adults according to their renal prognosis. The efficacy of complement inhibitors should be tested in adults with glomerular deposition of C5b-9.
Methods
We retrospectively selected adults diagnosed with MN (primary or secondary) at Montpellier University Hospital between December 2004 and December 2015. To be included, all patients were required to have complete medical data and a kidney tissue sample for further immunohistochemistry. We performed PLA2R1, C4d, and C5b-9 staining by immunohistochemistry.
Results
Sixty-four adults were included: 45 with primary MN and 19 with secondary MN. C4d was positive in the glomeruli of 61 adults (95.3%). Twenty-nine adults (45.3%) had glomerular deposition of C5b-9. Patients with glomerular deposition of C5b-9 had more severe nephrotic syndrome on diagnosis and lower remission and renal survival rates than adults without.