pathology

Question 1

what is nephritis?

Answer 1

inflammation of the kidney

Question 2

what is pyelonephritis?

Answer 2

infective nephritis

Question 3

what is glomerulonephritis?

Answer 3

non infective nephritis

Question 4

what is glemoreulonephritis?

Answer 4

inflammation of the glomerulus

Question 5

what are the main groups of glomerulonephritis?

Answer 5

immune mediated:

• either directed at something in the glomerulus
• caused by circulating complexes getting stuck in the sieve

OR
-related to vasculitis (secondary)

Question 6

pathophysiology of good pastures syndrome?

Answer 6

• Alpha 3 subunit of collagen 4
• IgG antibodies
• direct attack of the glomerulus causing glomerulonephritis

Question 7

most common cause of glomerulonephritis?

Answer 7

-circulating immune complexes

Question 8

what may cause circulating immune complexes causing glomerulonephritis?

Answer 8

infection- hepatitis virus, bacteria (post strep), HIV
drugs- gold, penicillamine
cancer- any but often lymphoma

Question 9

how does vasculitis cause glomerulonephritis?

Answer 9

-disrupt the membrane charge, blocking the membranes and stopping the glomeluar sieve from working

Question 10

what is the difference between nephritic and nephrotic syndrome?

Answer 10

-these are not a diagnoses they are a clinical description

nephritic- haematuria, hypertension

nephrotic- heavy proteinuria, non dependant oedema, hyperlipidaemia

Question 11

what allows you to classify nephritic and nephrotic syndrome further?

Answer 11

• light microscopy
• electron microscopy
• immunoflorescence

Question 12

what do crescents in a renal biopsy suggest?

Answer 12

indicate rapidly progressive GMN

Question 13

what do granulomas in a kidney biopsy suggest?

Answer 13

GPA or sarcoidosis

Question 14

what is seen on light microscopy of glomerulonephritis?

Answer 14

• hypercellularity (due to inflammatory cells and reactive proliferations)
• sclerosis (due to ongoing damage)
• crescents

Question 15

what is seen on electron microscopy of glomerulonephritis?

Answer 15

• look at the basement membrane and can see if the deposits are in a sub epithelial, mesangial or sub endothelial location
• this allows us to classify the type of glomerular disease

Question 16

what is seen on IMF of good pastures?

Answer 16

-linear IgG