Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia

IntroductionCryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis (CF-GN) is a rare disease that lacks comprehensive research and requires further investigation to improve our understanding of its pathophysiology.MethodsBased on the morphological findings from a kidney biopsy and blood tests, an elderly pati...

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Main Authors: Xuanli Tang, Mengya Jiang, Huaqin Zhang, Peng Bi, Jun Wang, Tian Ye, Jie Zheng, Mengli Tong, Xingyu Zhu, Xiaotao Hou, Shuhua Bao, Yi Lin, Xue Jiang, Hongyu Chen, Feng Wan, Haichun Yang
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Frontiers Media S.A. 2025-07-01
Series:Frontiers in Immunology
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Online Access:https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1576917/full
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author Xuanli Tang
Mengya Jiang
Huaqin Zhang
Peng Bi
Jun Wang
Tian Ye
Jie Zheng
Mengli Tong
Xingyu Zhu
Xiaotao Hou
Shuhua Bao
Yi Lin
Xue Jiang
Hongyu Chen
Feng Wan
Haichun Yang
author_facet Xuanli Tang
Mengya Jiang
Huaqin Zhang
Peng Bi
Jun Wang
Tian Ye
Jie Zheng
Mengli Tong
Xingyu Zhu
Xiaotao Hou
Shuhua Bao
Yi Lin
Xue Jiang
Hongyu Chen
Feng Wan
Haichun Yang
author_sort Xuanli Tang
collection DOAJ
description IntroductionCryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis (CF-GN) is a rare disease that lacks comprehensive research and requires further investigation to improve our understanding of its pathophysiology.MethodsBased on the morphological findings from a kidney biopsy and blood tests, an elderly patient was diagnosed with CF-GN. Biological materials obtained from peripheral blood were utilized to treat cultured mesangial cells and mice.ResultsThe patient presented with nephrotic syndrome and chronic kidney failure. The biopsy revealed a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis pattern with distinct substructures and positive fibrinogen staining. Cryofibrinogen was detectable under cold conditions, and monoclonal immunoglobulin (MIg) was exclusively identified within cryoprecipitates. Genetic analysis uncovered an intronic mutation. The patient partially responded to immunosuppressive therapy, but later relapsed with paraproteinemia, and the MIg was detected to have cryoactivity. To investigate the pathophysiology of CF-GN further, its cryoactivity was detected when mixing the serum (with or without MIg) with healthy control plasma. When exposed to the patient’s cryoprecipitates, cultured mesangial cells showed significant proliferation, phagocytosis of fibrinogen, and lysosomal degeneration. Injection of these cryoprecipitates into mice induced proliferative glomerulonephritis and other organ damage.ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights into the diagnosis, treatment, and pathophysiology of CF-GN with paraproteinemia. The identification of the complex of cryofibrinogen and MIg as a potential mechanism of glomerular damage shed light on the pathogenesis of this rare disease.
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spelling doaj-art-99f5fed7d92746bdac9b9e135a61347d2025-08-20T02:39:08ZengFrontiers Media S.A.Frontiers in Immunology1664-32242025-07-011610.3389/fimmu.2025.15769171576917Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemiaXuanli Tang0Mengya Jiang1Huaqin Zhang2Peng Bi3Jun Wang4Tian Ye5Jie Zheng6Mengli Tong7Xingyu Zhu8Xiaotao Hou9Shuhua Bao10Yi Lin11Xue Jiang12Hongyu Chen13Feng Wan14Haichun Yang15Department of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Renal Pathology, King Medical Diagnostics Center, Guangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Laboratory, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Nephrology, Hangzhou TCM Hospital Affiliated to Zhejiang Chinese Medical University, Hangzhou, ChinaDepartment of Pathology, Microbiology, and Immunology, Vanderbilt University Medical Center, Nashville, TN, United StatesIntroductionCryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis (CF-GN) is a rare disease that lacks comprehensive research and requires further investigation to improve our understanding of its pathophysiology.MethodsBased on the morphological findings from a kidney biopsy and blood tests, an elderly patient was diagnosed with CF-GN. Biological materials obtained from peripheral blood were utilized to treat cultured mesangial cells and mice.ResultsThe patient presented with nephrotic syndrome and chronic kidney failure. The biopsy revealed a membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis pattern with distinct substructures and positive fibrinogen staining. Cryofibrinogen was detectable under cold conditions, and monoclonal immunoglobulin (MIg) was exclusively identified within cryoprecipitates. Genetic analysis uncovered an intronic mutation. The patient partially responded to immunosuppressive therapy, but later relapsed with paraproteinemia, and the MIg was detected to have cryoactivity. To investigate the pathophysiology of CF-GN further, its cryoactivity was detected when mixing the serum (with or without MIg) with healthy control plasma. When exposed to the patient’s cryoprecipitates, cultured mesangial cells showed significant proliferation, phagocytosis of fibrinogen, and lysosomal degeneration. Injection of these cryoprecipitates into mice induced proliferative glomerulonephritis and other organ damage.ConclusionThis study provides valuable insights into the diagnosis, treatment, and pathophysiology of CF-GN with paraproteinemia. The identification of the complex of cryofibrinogen and MIg as a potential mechanism of glomerular damage shed light on the pathogenesis of this rare disease.https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1576917/fullcryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritismembranoproliferative glomerulonephritismonoclonal gammopathy of renal significanceanimal modelcell culture
spellingShingle Xuanli Tang
Mengya Jiang
Huaqin Zhang
Peng Bi
Jun Wang
Tian Ye
Jie Zheng
Mengli Tong
Xingyu Zhu
Xiaotao Hou
Shuhua Bao
Yi Lin
Xue Jiang
Hongyu Chen
Feng Wan
Haichun Yang
Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
Frontiers in Immunology
cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis
membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance
animal model
cell culture
title Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
title_full Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
title_fullStr Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
title_full_unstemmed Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
title_short Cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
title_sort cryofibrinogen associated glomerulonephritis with paraproteinemia
topic cryofibrinogen-associated glomerulonephritis
membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis
monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance
animal model
cell culture
url https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fimmu.2025.1576917/full
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