Objective: The role of oxidative stress in IgA nephropathy (IgAN), the most common type of primary glomerulonephritis, is unknown. We evaluated the clinical significance of serum levels of oxidative stress markers, thioredoxin (TRX) and manganese superoxide dismutase (MnSOD), in patients with IgAN.
Methods: Forty-eight patients with histologically confirmed IgAN and 14 healthy subjects were enrolled in this study. Serum samples from 14 IgAN patients were obtained after tonsillectomy, a procedure hypothesized to be an effective treatment for IgAN.
Results: Serum TRX levels were significantly higher in patients with IgAN than in healthy subjects (mean [ng/mL]; 49.5 vs.14.4, p<0.001). Serum TRX levels are positively correlated with blood urea nitrogen, serum uric acid and proteinuria, and negatively with estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR). In addition, serum TRX levels gradually increased as the severity of renal histology increased. High levels of serum TRX were significantly decreased after tonsillectomy in patients with IgAN (mean [ng/mL]; 55.5 to 41.1, p=0.02). In contrast, serum MnSOD levels did not differ between IgAN patients and healthy subjects, and these levels did not change after tonsillectomy in IgAN patients.
Conclusion: Serum TRX is associated with IgAN, and tonsillectomy may decrease oxidative stress in IgAN patients, leading to clinical improvement.