Glomerular foam cells in kidney allograft.

Foam cells are occasionally encountered in renal glomeruli in cases of nephrotic syndrome, however, they were not described so far in renal allografts. The authors found the glomerular foam cells in a cadaveric kidney transplant which survived 7 months after transplantation in a 35-year-old man. Electron microscopy revealed the mesangial cells to be loaded with lipids in this case. The formation of the glomerular foam cells is generally referred to hyperlipidemia, but its cause remains obscure in the presented case.