Let’s start from the concept if you want to deeply explore IgA Nephropathy. IgA is a sort of immunoglobulin, which belongs to a kind of human antibody. According to the immune function, it can be divided into serotype and secretion. Serotype IgA exists in serum and accounts for 85% of the total IgA. Secretion IgA exists in secretion fluid which covering the mucosal surface of nose, pharynx, trachea, intestines and bladder, and it can inhibit the adhesion of microbes on respiratory epithelium and slow down the propagation of virus, in addition, it acts as a mucosal barrier with antibody activity against certain virus, bacteria and ordinary antigen, and also it is the first defense line to prevent pathogen entering the body. Under abnormal circumstances, when the kidney is stimulated by various inflammations, IgA will excessively deposit at mesangial area and other region, combine with antigen and then produce immune complexes, which can result in pathological damage of renal structure and cause a series of clinical manifestations. That is IgA Nephropathy.
Why do people suffer from this disease?
The reason why patients suffer from this disease is that immunologic function deficiency in mucosa, Within a certain period of time, if the immunity decreases and meanwhile the mucosa of upper respiratory tract or gastrointestinal tract get infections, thus bacteria or virus invade human body that make the abnormal structure of IgA have antigenicity, then combine with autoantibody for forming antigen-antibody complex of IgA. These complexes deposit under the mesangial cells of glomerular capillary, which lead to the impairment of physiological function of mesangial cells. So we call this disease as IgA –based hyperplasia of mesangial cells.
How to treat this disease?
Clinically, the conventional treatment is anti-inflammation combined with hemostatic medicine for stopping hematuria. But they forget one thing that is the root of this disease---- the normal physiological functions of mesangial cells are impaired. Only figure out the root of this disease, all problem can be solved.
In the process of treating this disease, the therapeutic effect should obtain through the following methods, no matter Chinese Medicine or Western Medicine or Chinese Medicine combined with Western Medicine.
1. Dilating blood vessels. Why? Because after the stimulation of IgA immune complex, the mesangial cells of renal capillary lack of blood and oxygen, and the aim of dilating blood vessels is to improve renal blood circulation and ease the state of lacking blood and oxygen of various renal intrinsic cells, creating a favorable environment for the repair of mesangial cells.
2. Anti-inflammation. Why? It is easy to understand. Anti-inflammation is to reduce the infiltration of inflammatory cells and ease repeated impairment of glomerular mesangial cells.
3. Anticoagulation. The growth of inflammatory cells in blood will increase blood viscosity to a certain degree, which can urge the forming of thrombus in glomerular capillary. The application of anticoagulation medicine is to end the forming of micro-thrombus and maintain unobstructed blood flow, thus paying a solid foundation for the further repair of mesangial cells.