National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences Genetic and Rare Diseases Information Center, a program of the National Center for Advancing and Translational Sciences

Membranous nephropathy


Other Names:
Idiopathic membranous nephropathy; MGN; Membranous glomerulonephritis; Idiopathic membranous nephropathy; MGN; Membranous glomerulonephritis; Membranous GN; Glomerulonephritis, membranous; Extramembranous glomerulonephritis See More
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Membranous nephropathy is a kidney disease characterized by inflammation of the structures inside the kidney that help filter wastes and fluids.[1] When the glomerular basement membrane becomes thickened, it does not work normally, allowing large amounts of protein to be lost in the urine. Symptoms develop gradually and may include swelling, fatigue, weight gain, and high blood pressure. In many cases, the underlying cause of membranous nephropathy is not known. Some cases are associated with other conditions (lupus), infections (hepatitis B and C), cancer or as a side effect of certain medications.[1][2] The goal of treatment is to reduce symptoms and slow the progression of the disease.[1] 
Last updated: 9/2/2014

If you need medical advice, you can look for doctors or other healthcare professionals who have experience with this disease. You may find these specialists through advocacy organizations, clinical trials, or articles published in medical journals. You may also want to contact a university or tertiary medical center in your area, because these centers tend to see more complex cases and have the latest technology and treatments.

If you can’t find a specialist in your local area, try contacting national or international specialists. They may be able to refer you to someone they know through conferences or research efforts. Some specialists may be willing to consult with you or your local doctors over the phone or by email if you can't travel to them for care.

You can find more tips in our guide, How to Find a Disease Specialist. We also encourage you to explore the rest of this page to find resources that can help you find specialists.

Healthcare Resources

Related diseases are conditions that have similar signs and symptoms. A health care provider may consider these conditions in the table below when making a diagnosis. Please note that the table may not include all the possible conditions related to this disease.

Conditions with similar signs and symptoms from Orphanet
Secondary causes of MN should be excluded. These include malignances, infections (Hepatitis B, hepatitis C, syphilis), systemic diseases (SLE, sarcoidosis, IgG4-related kidney disease), drugs (NSAID'S, penicillamine, gold), and paraproteinemia.
Visit the Orphanet disease page for more information.

Research helps us better understand diseases and can lead to advances in diagnosis and treatment. This section provides resources to help you learn about medical research and ways to get involved.

Clinical Research Resources

  • ClinicalTrials.gov lists trials that are related to Membranous nephropathy. Click on the link to go to ClinicalTrials.gov to read descriptions of these studies.

    Please note: Studies listed on the ClinicalTrials.gov website are listed for informational purposes only; being listed does not reflect an endorsement by GARD or the NIH. We strongly recommend that you talk with a trusted healthcare provider before choosing to participate in any clinical study.

Patient Registry

  • The Nephrotic Syndrome Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (NEPTUNE) is a team of doctors, nurses, research coordinators, and research labs throughout the U.S., working together to improve the lives of people with focal and segmental glomerulosclerosis, minimal change disease, membranous nephropathy, and nephrotic syndrome, other or unspecified caused, through research. The Nephrotic Syndrome Rare Disease Clinical Research Network (NEPTUNE) has a registry for patients who wish to be contacted about clinical research opportunities.

    For more information on the registry see: https://neptune-study.org/get-involved/

Support and advocacy groups can help you connect with other patients and families, and they can provide valuable services. Many develop patient-centered information and are the driving force behind research for better treatments and possible cures. They can direct you to research, resources, and services. Many organizations also have experts who serve as medical advisors or provide lists of doctors/clinics. Visit the group’s website or contact them to learn about the services they offer. Inclusion on this list is not an endorsement by GARD.

Organizations Supporting this Disease

These resources provide more information about this condition or associated symptoms. The in-depth resources contain medical and scientific language that may be hard to understand. You may want to review these resources with a medical professional.

Where to Start

In-Depth Information

  • Medscape Reference provides information on this topic. You may need to register to view the medical textbook, but registration is free.
  • The Merck Manual for health care professionals provides information on Membranous nephropathy.
  • The Monarch Initiative brings together data about this condition from humans and other species to help physicians and biomedical researchers. Monarch’s tools are designed to make it easier to compare the signs and symptoms (phenotypes) of different diseases and discover common features. This initiative is a collaboration between several academic institutions across the world and is funded by the National Institutes of Health. Visit the website to explore the biology of this condition.
  • Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) is a catalog of human genes and genetic disorders. Each entry has a summary of related medical articles. It is meant for health care professionals and researchers. OMIM is maintained by Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine. 
  • Orphanet is a European reference portal for information on rare diseases and orphan drugs. Access to this database is free of charge.

Questions sent to GARD may be posted here if the information could be helpful to others. We remove all identifying information when posting a question to protect your privacy. If you do not want your question posted, please let us know.

  1. Silberberg C. Membranous nephropathy. MedlinePlus. September 8, 2013; http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/ency/article/000472.htm. Accessed 9/2/2014.
  2. Membranous Nephropathy (MN). Nephrotic Syndrome Study Network (NEPTUNE). http://www.rarediseasesnetwork.org/NEPTUNE/patients/learnmore/MN/. Accessed 9/2/2014.