Q: My 39 years old friend has been diagnosed with IgA nephropathy after biopsy. His creatinine level is 6.4 mg/dL and potassium is 6.0. What is IgA nephropathy and is it curable?

A:IgA nephropathy is the commonest glomerulonephritis. It is an immune mediated inflammation of the filtering units of the kidney (called glomeruli). The treatment depends on the acuteness of disease, severity and absence of chronic changes on biopsy as well as degree of acute changes. The biopsy changes along with the history of the patient will determine whether treatment would be effective. He has severe impairment of his kidney function.