Membranous nephropathy (MN) is an autoimmune disease induced by circulating antibodies against the podocyte protein phospholipase A2 receptor 1 (PLA2R1-ab) in 80% of patients and represents the leading cause of nephrotic syndrome in adults.
Recent evidence shows that PLA2R is a major autoantigen causing idiopathic membranous nephropathy (IMN), which is an autoimmune disease and one of the most common causes for nephrotic syndrome in adults.
Primary membranous nephropathy (PMN) is a common cause of adult nephrotic syndrome, most commonly associated with autoantibodies against M-type phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R).