How To Find Out if You Have IgA Nephropathy

IgA nephropathy (IgAN), also known as Berger’s disease, is a disease that develops when an antibody called immunoglobulin A (IgA) builds up in your kidneys. Over time, this buildup can lead to inflammation and damage your kidneys, reducing their ability to filter waste and toxins from your blood. Healthcare providers most often perform a physical exam, assess your symptoms, and ask questions about your medical history as the first step in diagnosis. They may then recommend tests to confirm the diagnosis of IgAN.

Diagnosing IgA nephropathy usually involves urine tests, such as:

• Urinalysis: This is a general urine test that checks for protein or blood in your urine.
• Urinary protein-creatinine ratio (uPCR): This test measures the level of protein in relation to the level of creatinine (waste product) in your urine. This ratio can help determine how well your kidneys are working.
• 24-hour urine collection: To do this, you collect your urine all day and night, and the entire collection is measured for different components.

Estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR) is a blood test that evaluates how well your kidneys are working. The test measures waste and toxins in your blood. The buildup of such toxins in your blood may suggest that your kidneys are not working properly.

Although not specific to the diagnosis of IgAN, healthcare providers can also measure immunoglobulin levels and inflammation levels using blood tests for erythrocyte sedimentation rate (ESR) and C-reactive protein (CRP).

A kidney biopsy is a procedure in which your doctor removes a small piece of tissue from your kidneys and examines it under a microscope. This procedure helps accurately diagnose IgAN because it shows a buildup of IgA in the glomerulus, which is the filtering unit of your kidney.

Many people do not have symptoms of IgA nephropathy at first. Symptoms usually begin to appear as the disease progresses. Your healthcare provider may suspect IgAN if you have one or more of the following symptoms:

• Bags around the eyes
• Swelling of the legs, ankles, feet, abdominal area, or face
• Blood in your urine
• Foamy urine
• Change in color of your urine
• High blood pressure

Your healthcare provider may also recommend a diagnostic test for IgAN if you are at higher risk of developing this condition. The risk of IgA is generally higher if you:

• have a family history of IgAN or IgA vasculitis
• Are aged 10 to 40 years old
• Have been diagnosed with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), celiac disease, cirrhosis, hepatitis or HIV
• Are male and have Asian, Pacific Islander, or White European ancestry

There is no cure for IgAN. Treatment usually involves managing your symptoms and slowing kidney damage. Health care providers generally recommend medications that:

• Reduce your inflammation
• Eliminate excess fluid from your body
• Control your blood pressure
• Reduce your cholesterol

Your provider may also recommend certain lifestyle changes, including:

• Reduced protein and sodium intake
• Reduced fluid intake
• Weight loss
• Avoid smoking