Remission of proteinuria with treatment of Actinomyces infection: eradicating a cause of secondary membranous glomerulopathy suppresses nephrotic syndrome

Abstract

Eradication of a cause of secondary membranous glomerulopathy might suppress nephrotic syndrome. Here we report a patient with membranous nephropathy (MN), whose proteinuria entered complete remission after treating actinomycosis. A 45-year-old woman presented with nephrotic syndrome and was diagnosed as having MN. Her urine protein excretion was 5.3 g/day and the serum creatinine level was 70.7 micromol/L. When we searched for causes of secondary MN, pelvic actinomycosis was detected. After removing the pelvic abscess surgically, we administered amoxicillin for 6 months. Then, her proteinuria had decreased to <0.1 g/day, and since it entered remission, she has not relapsed.