Glomerulonephritis Associated With Hydrocarbon Solvents

Abstract

In a retrospective analysis of 13 patients with antiglomerular basement membrane antibody-mediated glomerulonephritis, (autoimmune glomerulonephritis) eight patients were available for detailed personal interview. A history of extensive exposure to various industrial solvents was elicited in six of these eight patients. Often the exposure was to a vapor or fine mist of a heated solvent. Various petroleum products including paint removers, degreasing solvents, hair sprays, and painting solvents are suspected. Thus far, no specific component of these complex mixtures is implicated. On the basis of the studies in these patients, we propose that the first stage in the pathogenesis of autoimmune glomerulonephritis may be chemical injury to lung or kidney. According to this theory, the antibodies to glomerular basement membrane found in this syndrome would be considered a secondary response to chemical injury to lung or kidney basement membranes.