Serum galactose-deficient-IgA1 and IgG autoantibodies correlate in patients with IgA nephropathy

IgA nephropathy is an autoimmune disease characterized by IgA1-containing glomerular immune deposits. We previously proposed a multi-hit pathogenesis model in which patients with IgA nephropathy have elevated levels of circulatory IgA1 with some O-glycans deficient in galactose (Gd-IgA1, autoantigen). Gd-IgA1 is recognized by anti-glycan IgG and/or IgA autoantibodies, resulting in formation of pathogenic immune complexes. Some of these immune complexes deposit in the kidney, activate mesangial cells, and incite glomerular injury leading to clinical presentation of IgA nephropathy. Several studies have demonstrated that elevated circulatory levels of either Gd-IgA1 or the corresponding autoantibodies predict progressive loss of renal clearance function. In this study we assessed a possible association between serum levels of Gd-IgA1 and IgG or IgA autoantibodies specific for Gd-IgA1 in serum samples from 135 patients with biopsy-proven IgA nephropathy, 76 patients with other renal diseases, and 106 healthy controls. Our analyses revealed a correlation between the concentrations of the autoantigen and the corresponding IgG autoantibodies in sera of patients with IgA nephropathy, but not of disease or healthy controls. Moreover, our data suggest that IgG is the predominant isotype of Gd-IgA1-specific autoantibodies in IgA nephropathy. This work highlights the importance of both initial hits in the pathogenesis of IgA nephropathy.