Kidney disease rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis

By summarizing various studies and case reports, Gregorini (working in Brescia) showed that extrapul-monary silicotic lesions and/or autoimmune processes may play a role in kidney diseases after silica exposure, more specifically MPO-ANCA-positive microscopic polyangiitis and its renal-limited form of idiopathic , rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis (Conrad et al. 

Kidney disease is observed in 16% to 49% of CSS patients, usually presenting as rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis with necrosis, crescents, or both (2,3,37,38). Interstitial eosinophil and neutrophil infiltration with edema is also possible. Although mostly associated with anti-MPO Ab (2,3), it is a pauci-immune glomerulonephritis. Other renal manifestations include proteinuria, hypertension, renal insufficiency, and/or renal infarction with or without microaneurysms (1,4,16,22-24,36,38). 

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