Spontaneous glomerulonephritis in dogs. I. Classification and immunopathology

Abstract

In a study of the kidneys of 101 dogs with and without clinical signs of renal disease, on 90% there was morphologic evidence of glomerulopathy. Types of glomerulonephritis were: membranous, 26 cases (with spikes, 6 cases; without spikes, 20 cases); membranoproliferative, 30 cases (with mesangial proliferation, 9 cases; with mesangial sclerosis, 21 cases); mesangial proliferative, 16 cases; and mesangial sclerosing, 19 cases. There was no linear immunofluorescence indicative of autoantibodies to the glomerular basement membrane. Membranous glomerulonephritis with spikes was associated with coarse subepithelial deposits of IgG and C3. Membranous glomerulonephritis without spikes often had a linear fluorescence pattern of C3. In membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, there were subendothelial deposits of IgG and C3, and frequently C3 deposits were within the mesangium. Mesangial deposits of C3 were frequently found in kidneys with mesangial proliferative and mesangial sclerosing glomerulonephritis and glomeruli which histologically appeared normal.