Case Report: Mercury-induced renal autoimmunity – An insight into its pathogenesis

Abstract

Membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults. It may be idiopathic or due to secondary causes. Among the secondary causes, heavy metals like mercury are the one among others. Here is a male with nil comorbidities who, upon exposure to mercury-containing skin cream, developed proteinuria, which, on evaluation, was found to have dual renal lesions like membranous nephropathy and chronic interstitial nephritis. The uniform PLA2R staining within the glomerular capillary walls shows the ability of mercury to induce inflammation and autoimmunity. This case strengthens the findings of in vitro studies about mercury-induced inflammatory processes.