Membranous Glomerulonephritis Associated with Renal Cell Carcinoma: Failure to Detect a Nephritogenic Tumor Antigen

A 57-year-old man with renal cell carcinoma associated with membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN) developed a transient amelioration of the nephrotic syndrome after excision of the tumor. We tried to identify a nephritogenic tumor antigen using the immunoblotting technique in this patient with MGN, since previous studies examined the interaction between tumor antigens and IgG eluted from the kidney tissue using immunofluorescence or immunodiffusion techniques, and no studies have identified the specific tumor antigen with the immunoblotting method. In the present study, no significant immunoreactivity was noted between the IgG eluted from renal cortical tissues of the patient and renal cell carcinoma proteins. Further studies are necessary to establish the pathogenic mechanism of MGN associated with malignancy.