Circulating Factor Associated with Increased Glomerular Permeability to Albumin in Recurrent Focal Segmental Glomerulosclerosis

Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis develops and progresses to renal failure in some patients who have idiopathic nephrotic syndrome that is resistant to treatment with corticosteroids and cytotoxic drugs. 1 – 3 After transplantation, up to 40 percent of such patients have recurrences. 4 – 9 The glomerular abnormalities in patients with established disease include focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis and hyalinosis, although fusion of epithelial-cell foot processes may be the only abnormality early in the course of the disease. 10 It has been proposed that because some patients with recurrent focal segmental glomerulosclerosis have a response to treatment with plasmapheresis, 11 – 16 there may be a circulating factor . . .