Chronic periaortitis associated with membranous nephropathy: clues to common pathogenetic mechanisms

Chronic periaortitis (CP) is a rare disease hallmarked by the presence of a periaortic retroperitoneal fibro-inflammatory tissue which can often cause obstructive uropathy. CP is isolated in most cases but it may also be associated with other sclerosing inflammatory and immune-mediated diseases. We here present the case of a patient who was initially diagnosed as having CP and subsequently developed membranous nephropathy and chronic sclerosing sialoadenitis of the right parotid gland. As these conditions were all characterized by either pronounced infiltration of IgG4-positive plasma cells or marked IgG4 tissue deposition, we hypothesize that they are part of the same disease spectrum, and discuss the immune-mediated pathogenetic mechanisms potentially shared by these conditions. In particular, we consider the role of Th2-mediated immune reactions and of immunogenetic factors such as HLA genotype as common determinants of these disorders.