Immunoglobulin A nephropathy and ankylosing spondylitis. Report of two patients in Taiwan and review of the literature.

We describe 2 patients with immunoglobulin A (IgA) nephropathy in association with ankylosing spondylitis. Renal biopsy demonstrated mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis with prominent IgA, C3c, and less intense properdin deposition in the glomeruli. Intraglomerular clumps of virus-like particles were also observed in the kidney sample from one patient (case 2), who had an abnormal liver function. Our findings support the hypothesis that here is a possible common pathogenesis responsible for the concurrence of both IgA nephropathy and ankylosing spondylitis.