Clinicopathologic Characteristics of Crystalglobulin-Induced Nephropathy: A Case Series

Rationale & Objective

Crystalglobulinemia is a rare syndrome characterized by intravascular crystallization of monoclonal immunoglobulins (MIg). Data on kidney involvement are limited to case reports. This series characterizes the clinicopathologic spectrum of crystalglobulin-induced nephropathy (CIN).

Study Design

Case series.

Setting & Participants

Nineteen CIN cases identified from the nephropathology archives of Mayo Clinic and Columbia University. CIN was defined by intravascular (extracellular) MIg crystals visible by light microscopy (LM) and electron microscopy (EM).

Results

Among the cases, 68% were male, and 65% were Caucasian (median age, 56 years). Most patients presented with severe acute kidney injury (AKI) (median creatinine, 3.5 mg/dL), hematuria, and mild proteinuria (median, 1.1 g/day). Common extrarenal manifestations were constitutional (67%), cutaneous (56%), and rheumatologic (50%). Fifty percent of cases had hypocomplementemia. The hematologic disorders were monoclonal gammopathy of renal significance (MGRS) (72%), lymphoma (17%), or myeloma (11%), with 65% of these disorders discovered concomitantly with CIN. All patients had MIg identified on serum protein electrophoresis/immunofixation (IgGκ in 65%). The serum free light chain ratio was outside the renal range in 40%, and bone marrow biopsy detected the responsible clone in 67%. On LM, crystals involved glomeruli (100%) and vessels (47%), often with an inflammatory reaction (89%) and fibrin (58%). All cases exhibited crystal substructures (mostly paracrystalline) by EM. Immunofluorescence on paraffin-embedded tissue was more sensitive than frozen tissue (92% vs 47%) for demonstrating the crystal composition (IgGκ in 63%). Follow-up observation (median, 20 months) was available in 16 patients. Eighty-one percent received steroids, 44% plasmapheresis, 38% hemodialysis, and 69% chemotherapy. Ninety-percent of patients who received clone-directed therapy achieved kidney recovery versus 20% of those who did not (P = 0.02).

Limitations

Retrospective design, small sample size.

Conclusions

CIN is a rare cause of nephropathy associated with lymphoplasmacytic disorders (mostly MGRS) and typically presents with severe AKI and extrarenal manifestations. Diagnosis often requires immunofluorescence performed on paraffin-embedded kidney tissue. Prompt initiation of clone-directed therapy, coupled with corticosteroids and plasmapheresis, may lead to recovery of kidney function.