[Renal involvement in rheumatoid polyarthritis].

Urinary disorders were investigated in 162 patients with specific or standard rheumatoid disease, over a period of 5 years. 43 patients presented disturbances of the urinary laboratory tests, or 26.5 p. cent and 17 of them underwent a renal needle-biopsy. The findings were as follows: 11 isolated proteinurias, iatrogenic and reversible when the treatment in question was discontinued (gold salts, D-penicillamine), 13 microscopic hematurias, 3 isolated leucocyturias, 3 combinations hematuria-leucocyturia, 3 combinations hematuria-leucocyturia-proteinuria, 6 nephrotic syndromes including 5 of iatrogenic origin, 4 isolated renal failures. The most interesting discussion concerns microscopic hematurias. Besides the standard lesions of extra-membranous glomerulonephritis, amyloidosis and interstitial nephritis, 50 p. cent of the renal histologic examinations corresponded to lesions of mesangial glomerulonephritis. This lesion seems unrelated to long-term treatments and could be encouraged by the chronic inflammatory condition of the rheumatoid disease.