Anti-PLA2R antibody positivity and outcome in primary membranous nephropathy- a prospective observational study

PRIMARY PURPOSE OF STUDY:** Membranous nephropathy (MN) is one of the most common causes of nephrotic syndrome in adults. In majority of patients, it occurs in the absence of an identifiable predisposing disease (e.g. systemic lupus erythematosus {SLE}), infection (e.g. hepatitis B), drug (e.g. non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug) or malignancy, and is termed primary. Recent evidence suggests that circulating auto-antibodies against podocyte surface antigen Anti-PLA2R and thrombospondin type 1 domain containing 7A (THSD7A) cause the disease in the majority of patients.Presently Anti PLA2R antibody titers are available for diagnosing primary membranous nephropathy. The Anti PLA2 R antibodies are positive in 70-80%% of Primary membranous nephropathy. The literature on response to therapy based on Anti PLA2 receptor antibody is lacking. So our present study would provide insight regarding the role of Anti PLA2 R antibody positivity in predicting the response to therapy and clinical outcomes in MN.