Symptoms of IgA Vasculitis
Symptoms of IgA Nephropathy
Kidney symptoms
Foamy, dark, or pink urine; high blood pressure; swelling in the feet
Foamy, dark, or pink urine; high blood pressure; swelling in the feet
Rash
Often on the legs and buttocks
No
Abdominal pain
Abdominal pain, sometimes severe, and sometimes with intestinal bleeding and dark or bloody stool
No
Joint pain
Yes, especially in the knees and ankles
No
Brain symptoms
Headache or seizures (less common)
No
Lung symptoms
Shortness of breath (rare)
No
IgA nephropathy differs from IgA vasculitis in several different ways, including the organs involved, treatment approach, the groups most often affected.
They Affect Different Organs
In medicine, the term nephropathy refers to kidney disease or damage. IgA nephropathy affects only the kidneys.
In contrast, the term vasculitis refers to inflammation of your blood vessels. IgA vasculitis specifically affects small blood vessels in your:
- Skin
- Gastrointestinal tract
- Joints
- Kidneys
IgA vasculitis might affect just one of these organs, or a combination of them.
The Treatment Approach Is Somewhat Different
Most people with IgA vasculitis who don’t have kidney symptoms can recover with treatments like intravenous (IV) fluids for hydration, pain medications, and wound care for skin lesions.
IgA nephropathy treatment is meant to help lower blood pressure and support your kidneys. It often includes an ACE inhibitor medication, such as Capoten (captopril), which lowers blood pressure and helps protect the kidneys. Sometimes, doctors may prescribe other medications, like Invokana (canagliflozin), for kidney protection.
For severe cases of IgA nephropathy, you may also need medications that suppress your immune system, like corticosteroids, Sandimmune (cyclosporine), or Rituxan (rituximab).
IgA Vasculitis May Appear More Suddenly
The symptoms from IgA vasculitis tend to appear suddenly and dramatically. The rash and accompanying symptoms may be obvious.
In contrast, IgA nephropathy may cause kidney damage for years before you notice symptoms. Kidney damage can be advanced before symptoms become apparent.
They Typically Affect Different People
While symptoms of either condition can appear at any age, IgA nephropathy typically first happens in young adults in their 20s and 30s. Most people who get IgA vasculitis are children younger than 10 years.
Both diseases are more common in people assigned male at birth.
As indicated by their similar names, IgA vasculitis and IgA nephropathy have many shared characteristics.
Both Involve Autoimmunity, Genes, and IgA
Scientists don’t completely understand the causes of IgA nephropathy and IgA vasculitis, but both genes and the environment play a role. If someone in your family has one, you have an increased risk of either condition. And for both diseases, a part of the immune system called IgA is important.
IgA is a type of antibody. In IgA vasculitis, large amounts of the antibody begin to target the vessels of your skin, joints, gastrointestinal system, and sometimes your kidneys. Similarly, large amounts of IgA build up the kidneys in IgA nephropathy, leading to kidney damage and symptoms.
In both cases, this abnormal IgA is part of an autoimmune process, a condition in which part of your immune system mistakenly targets your own body.
They Often Develop After an Infection
Scientists aren’t quite sure why, but both IgA vasculitis and IgA nephropathy often occur after you’ve had a viral or bacterial infection, like a cold or strep throat. Most often, it happens after a respiratory infection.
Complications Are Possible
Both IgA vasculitis and IgA nephropathy have unpredictable outcomes. Many people initially experience symptoms but then have no further problems. However, in both cases, a minority of people experience relapses, periods in which symptoms return.
This can lead to long-term complications, especially in older adults, related to long-term kidney problems. About 1 in 5 people with IgA nephropathy develop kidney failure within 10 years of diagnosis. This rate may be lower with IgA vasculitis.
Yes, you can have both conditions.
For example, you could have symptoms of IgA vasculitis without kidney symptoms but later develop kidney disease—that’s not uncommon. In that case, your doctor would likely say that you’ve developed kidney involvement from your IgA vasculitis.
Less commonly, it’s possible to develop IgA vasculitis after first having IgA nephropathy.
What’s more, some experts argue that IgA vasculitis and IgA nephropathy are really caused by the same underlying processes, making them different versions of the same disease. But experts don’t know why some people with IgA vasculitis don’t always develop kidney problems or why people with IgA nephropathy don’t develop skin issues.
It’s important to see a doctor if you think you might have IgA vasculitis or IgA nephropathy, or if you suspect you are having a disease flare. While IgA vasculitis may go away without treatment, a doctor can monitor you for signs of kidney damage over time. Treating IgA nephropathy early can help prevent the condition from worsening or causing kidney failure.
