Renal course and clinical outcomes in pregnant women with primary membranous nephropathy are not completely understood. In addition, the use of autoantibodies to M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R) as a serologic marker throughout pregnancy and postpartum in the mother and baby is not yet fully elucidated. We followed up a pregnant woman with primary membranous nephropathy during pregnancy and postpartum and describe the clinical course and outcomes of mother and baby and the course of PLA2R antibody titers. We show evidence of transplacental transfer of PLA2R antibody from mother to fetus. In addition, we observe the effect of breastfeeding in a PLA2R antibody-positive pregnancy and describe the transfer of this antibody into breast milk. Although pregnancy in women with underlying PLA2R antibody-positive membranous nephropathy is possible, there is an increase in risk to both mother and fetus, requiring a multidisciplinary team approach and careful monitoring of both neonate and mother during pregnancy and postpartum.
Keywords: M-type phospholipase A(2) receptor (PLA(2)R); Membranous nephropathy (MN); adverse maternal outcome; autoantibody; breastmilk; case report; edema; maternal-fetal transfer; neonate; nephrotic syndrome; peripartum; pregnancy; transplacental passage.
Published by Elsevier Inc.