Symptoms Of Membranous Nephropathy

April 17, 2023

Membranous nephropathy is a kidney disease where the filters or glomeruli inside of the kidneys become thickened and damaged. As a result, the kidneys become swollen and experience a decrease in overall function. The glomeruli also leak high amounts of proteins into the urine. Some form of autoimmune activity often causes membranous nephropathy. Causes of this disease may also include infections, certain medications, and particular types of cancer. Membranous nephropathy is usually diagnosed with the use of medical imaging tests, urinalysis, and blood tests. Mild cases of membranous nephropathy may be able to self resolve with little or no intervention, and other cases will result in advanced kidney failure. The treatment for membranous nephropathy is highly dependent on its severity and its underlying cause. Symptoms tend to vary with each case, but there are several most patients will have in common. Get to know these symptoms now.

Leg And Ankle Swelling

A common symptom that manifests in patients affected by membranous nephropathy is edema or swelling of the legs and ankles. Leg and ankle swelling occurs due to an excess amount of fluid trapped in the tissues of the lower extremities. The glomeruli in individuals who have membranous nephropathy are damaged and allow for proteins that should remain in the blood to leak into the urine. The urine containing these proteins will take the normal urinary path to exit the body. This mechanism results in a deficiency of proteins in the blood. Many of the proteins in the blood are responsible for maintaining proper fluid balance throughout the body. The blood puts pressure on the blood vessels that forces fluids to leech out into adjacent tissues. In a healthy individual, a protein called albumin is responsible for stopping this fluid leakage into surrounding tissues. However, membranous nephropathy patients do not have enough albumin in their blood. When there is not enough albumin present, it is not able to carry out its normal function and keep fluid in the blood. This leaked fluid accumulates in the tissues of a patient's feet and ankles as they sit and stand throughout the day.

Proteinuria

Proteinuria is a condition of the urinary system where the patient has urine containing an abnormally high amount of protein. Kidneys in a healthy individual have glomeruli or filters that effectively extract excess wastes and fluid from their blood. At the same time, essential nutrients like proteins are allowed to pass through the kidneys and return to the bloodstream. Kidneys in membranous nephropathy patients have glomeruli that do not work correctly. Usually, this reduced function of the glomeruli is caused by cellular damage. The damaged glomeruli allow more than just wastes and fluids to be filtered into the urine from the blood. Low amounts of nutrients and proteins are returned to the bloodstream as a result. The urine that contains these critical components moves through the ureters and into the bladder. When the bladder is ready to empty, the urine with the proteins and nutrients in it is excreted through the urethra. When a patient's urine contains more proteins than normal, it is called proteinuria. Proteinuria can be detected using a standard urinalysis before it causes any noticeable complications.

Unexplained Weight Gain

Unexplained weight gain is best described as an increase in body weight without any changes in activity levels, food consumption, and liquid consumption. An increase in body weight is a common symptom that appears in patients with membranous nephropathy. This symptom occurs because the glomeruli in the kidneys of these individuals are so damaged that they cannot filter adequate amounts of fluid out of the blood. When fluid excretion does not match fluid consumption in patients with renal issues, the kidneys do not produce enough urine to rid the body of excess fluid. In addition, the damaged glomeruli in the kidneys can disrupt the normal electrolyte processes in the body. The electrolytes and kidneys work together in the function of maintaining the proper balance of fluid throughout the body. Electrolyte imbalances often lead to fluid retention in the body. Because the volume of fluid weighs more than the same quantity of fat, membranous nephropathy can manifest in the form of an unexplained increase in total body weight.

Reduced Appetite

Membranous nephropathy can manifest in a patient as reduced appetite. The normal process of appetite and hunger management is a complex multi-factor mechanism. Uremia or a high level of nitrogenous waste compounds and urea in the blood can occur as a result of poor kidney function in patients with membranous nephropathy. Uremia causes delayed emptying of the stomach and intestines, which can make an individual feel full and not want to eat. Uremia also causes changes in the saliva that may make food taste unappetizing to the patient. In addition, the buildup of toxins in the blood can cause a patient to experience the normal bodily reaction of vomiting as an attempt to remove the source of such toxins. Naturally, frequent vomiting results in a reduced appetite. Uremia is also known to trigger an immune system response. The release of certain cytokines by the immune system can cause the suppression of a membranous nephropathy patient's appetite.

High Cholesterol

Some individuals with membranous nephropathy may present with abnormally high cholesterol in their blood. Cholesterol is a lipid or fat present in the blood and comes from the food an individual consumes. Membranous nephropathy can cause high cholesterol because the kidneys are not performing adequately. When the kidneys are functioning poorly, they are not able to filter out a specific enzyme inhibitor involved in the metabolism and breakdown of cholesterol. The liver produces the enzymes responsible for the proper breakdown of cholesterol. However, the inhibitor of this enzyme that stops it from acting on cholesterol begins to build up in the blood. This enzyme inhibitor essentially deactivates all of the liver enzymes that metabolize cholesterol. Because the liver enzymes cannot perform their function, cholesterol begins to accumulate in the blood. The high cholesterol in membranous nephropathy patients will typically show up in a standard blood panel test.

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