Proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits without conspicuous mesangial proliferation, complicated with squamous cell lung carcinoma

Abstract

We performed a renal biopsy for nephrotic syndrome in a patient with squamous cell lung carcinoma, which can worsen the prognosis. Chemoradiation therapy was effective for the cancer and proteinuria; we thus inferred that the nephrotic syndrome had been closely associated with the carcinoma. A pathological analysis of the kidney showed monoclonality for λ chain, satisfying the diagnostic criteria of proliferative glomerulonephritis with monoclonal immunoglobulin deposits (PGNMID); however, conspicuous mesangial proliferation was not observed. This is the first case of PGNMID complicated with lung carcinoma; furthermore, our findings underscore the importance of examining renal lesions and assessing monoclonality in cancer patients.