What does membranous nephropathy mean?

Membranous nephropathy is a condition in which immune complexes are deposited on the glomerular basement membrane of patients and the basement membrane thickens to encapsulate and remove these immune complexes, hence the name membranous nephropathy. The incidence of membranous nephropathy is gradually increasing as environmental pollution becomes more severe, coupled with the coexistence of viral infections in patients. Membranous nephropathy is commonly seen in middle-aged and older patients over 40 years old, mainly manifesting as proteinuria, hypoproteinemia, edema, and hyperlipidemia, but some patients may also present with proteinuria that is not within the scope of nephropathy. Therefore, the treatment for membranous nephropathy is mainly applied clinically with hormones plus cyclophosphamide, or cyclosporine, tacrolimus, rituximab, etc. About 1/3 of patients with membranous nephropathy can achieve clinical cure after active treatment, and another 1/3 of patients can have long-term stabilization of their disease. Another 1/3 patients’ urine protein cannot be reduced to the normal range, but after control, the 24h urine protein quantification can be reduced to less than 2.5g, which has little impact on patients in general. Patients with membranous nephropathy with severe edema and hypoproteinemia need to rest in bed until the edema has completely subsided or their general condition has improved before they can get up and move around. Patients should also take good care of their skin and dress loosely to avoid prolonged local pressure on the skin, thus maintaining skin integrity. At the same time, medication should be taken on time and according to the dosage, and should not be reduced or stopped at will. Avoid using nephrotoxic drugs, such as phenytoin sodium and gentamicin, to avoid aggravating kidney damage.