Atheroembolic renal disease causes hypocomplementaemia
Cosio, F.G.; Zager, R.A.; Sharma, H.M.
Lancet 2(8447): 118-121
1985
ISSN/ISBN: 0140-6736 PMID: 2862317 Document Number: 255835
Patients (7) with atheroembolic renal disease were found to have hypocomplementemia. Evidence obtained in an experimental model of atheroembolic disease shows that the hypocomplementemia is the result of complement activation by the atheromatous material in vivo. In addition to hypocomplementemia, 6 patients had thrombocytopenia and 5 had eosinophilia. Atheroembolic disease should now be included in the differential diagnosis of hypocomplementemia. In addition, atheroembolic disease should be considered in patients presenting with a combination of multisystem disease, hypocomplementemia, thrombocytopenia and eosinephilia, a syndrome which previously would have been regarded as diagnostic of immune-complex-mediated vasculitis.