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Uromodulin, also known as Tamm–Horsfall protein, is the most abundant protein in urine. It has recently been reported that uromodulin exists in a small amount in blood and that its concentration correlates with the estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). First, we generated anti-human uromodulin mouse monoclonal antibodies (mAb(s)) and established a specific enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) for uromodulin. We then performed an observational clinical study to determine if there was a correlation between serum uromodulin concentration and estimates of kidney function and whether the serum uromodulin value could be a biomarker in clinical nephrology. The clinical study included 308 patients with and without chronic kidney disease and healthy volunteers. Serum concentrations of creatinine, cystatin C, and uromodulin were measured and correlations were sought between the eGFR calculated from the creatinine and cystatin C levels and the serum uromodulin concentration. There was a good correlation between the serum uromodulin concentration and the eGFR value calculated from the creatinine (r = 0.76) and cystatin C (r = 0.79) levels. The mean serum uromodulin level in the group with an eGFR > 90 mL/min/1.73 m2 calculated using cystatin C was significantly higher than that in the group with an eGFR of 80–89 mL/min/1.73 m2. The serum uromodulin measurement could be a useful biomarker for identification of patients with early deterioration of kidney function.

Bucillamine is a disease-modifying antirheumatic drug that is structurally similar to D-penicillamine. The major renal side effect of bucillamine and D-penicillamine is proteinuria caused by membranous nephropathy (MN). In addition to MN, combined crescent formation has been occasionally reported in D-penicillamine-induced MN, while crescent formation has been rarely reported in bucillamine-treated cases. Here, we describe a 76-year-old female who presented with nephrotic syndrome and rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis. She was receiving bucillamine as initial treatment for recently diagnosed rheumatoid arthritis, and renal biopsy showed MN with crescent formation. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first report of bucillamine-induced MN with crescent formation in the English literature.

Coexistence of anti-glomerular basement membrane (anti-GBM) disease with anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (ANCA) is occasionally reported and termed "double positive" disease. Interestingly, the majority of "double positive" ANCA is myeloperoxidase (MPO)-ANCA, and some of the MPO-ANCA-positive cases reveal intrarenal arteritis indicating an ANCA-associated renal lesion. In contrast, proteinase 3 (PR3)-ANCA-positive "double positive" disease had rarely been reported, and as far as we know, none of the cases showed intrarenal arteritis. Herein, we report a case of PR3-ANCA-positive "double positive" anti-GBM disease presenting with pulmonary-renal syndrome and hemolytic uremic syndrome. The kidney biopsy showed crescentic glomerulonephritis, intrarenal arteritis, and thrombotic microangiopathy. This case newly describes PR3-ANCA-associated intrarenal arteritis in "double positive" anti-GBM disease.

Background Immunoglobulin heavy-and-light-chain amyloidosis (AHL amyloidosis) is a newly established disease entity where both the immunoglobulin heavy-chain and light-chain compose amyloid fibrils. The immunoglobulins responsible for the amyloid fibrils are generally identified by immunostaining and/or laser microdissection-liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry (LMD-LC-MS/MS). However, both techniques do not biochemically differentiate immunoglobulins that formed amyloid fibrils from non-responsible immunoglobulins. Case presentation We herein report a case of 67-year-old female patient with renal amyloidosis due to lymphoplasmacytic lymphoma secreting monoclonal immunoglobulin M (IgM)-kappa. Renal immunostaining monotypically positive for IgM-kappa and LMD-LC-MS/MS identification of mu heavy-chain and kappa light-chain were consistent with the diagnosis of AHL amyloidosis. In order to confirm that both the immunoglobulin heavy-chain and light-chain were forming amyloid fibrils, we performed LC-MS/MS of renal amyloid fibrils isolated by the traditional amyloid purification method. The additional LC-MS/MS identified kappa light-chain only without any heavy-chain component. These results were suggestive that amyloid fibrils were composed by kappa light-chain only and that the mu heavy-chain identified by immunostaining and LMD-LC-MS/MS was derived from the non-specific co-deposition of monoclonal IgM-kappa. Conclusion The case was AL amyloidosis with non-amyloid forming monoclonal immunoglobulin deposition. While immunostaining and LMD-LC-MS/MS are irreplaceable techniques to classify amyloidosis, confident exclusion of the present condition should be required to diagnose AHL amyloidosis.

We report a middle-aged Japanese man who had a past history of malignant lymphoma with tubulointerstitial nephritis (TIN) presenting a high serum immunoglobulin G4 (IgG4) concentration and bilateral kidney enlargement and swelling of many lymph nodes. Although lymph node biopsy was not evident of a recurrence of lymphoma, kidney biopsy showed prominent infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells in a tubulointerstitial lesion but not in glomeruli. We made a diagnosis of IgG4-related TIN and lymphadenopathy; administration of oral prednisolone improved his physical and laboratory parameters. This is the first report of a case of IgG4-related TIN and lymphadenopathy after therapy for malignant lymphoma.

血液透析を行っている腎不全患者の食道粘膜癌に対し, 内視鏡的粘膜切除術を行い, 術中術後ともに合併症もなく順調に経過した1例を経験したので報告する.症例は, 66歳男性, 透析歴2年で, 定期検診で施行された上部消化管内視鏡にて下部食道に, ヨード不染性のIIb様病変を発見された. 生検の結果食道癌と診断し, 精査の上, 粘膜切除術の適応と考え内視鏡的粘膜切除を施行した. 術中術後, 出血などの合併症もなく順調に経過し, 術後のQOLにほとんど影響を与えず, 術後7日目に退院した.血液維持透析の患者に対する内視鏡的粘膜切除術は本邦で初めてと思われるので, その手技と術後管理について若干の文献的考察を加え報告する.