HIV infection and the kidneys (Part II): Morphologic changes and their diagnostic significance

Abstract

HIV-infected patients may be faced with a variety of renal problem patterns. HIV-associated nephropathy is a unique pattern of sclerosing glomerulopathy and represents the most rapidly progressive form of focal segmental glomerulosclerosis. This study involved the examination of 32 renal biopsies: by light, immunofluorescence, and electron microscopy, in order to determine the most accurate and reliable diagnostic procedure. The findings show that the most sensitive and accurate procedure is electron microscopy, capable of detecting specific EM changes very early on, which is sufficient for the diagnosis of HIV-associated nephropathy.