The Facts
IgA nephropathy, also called Berger's disease, is a kidney disorder that causes inflammation of the glomeruli, the individual filtering units of the kidney that produce urine. The inflammation is produced by a build-up of a substance called immunoglobulin A (IgA) in the kidneys. IgA is a type of antibody manufactured by the immune system. When the body is unable to filter the urine, it can't excrete body wastes or eliminate excess fluid from the bloodstream. IgA nephropathy leads to kidney failure and other related complications. It may be acute (attacking quickly and suddenly) or chronic.
IgA nephropathy is the most common kidney disease causing kidney failure in the world. It is not associated with diabetes. Most often it strikes in the teen or early adult years. It affects more males than females. Interestingly, the disorder is diagnosed more frequently in France and Japan, countries where screening for IgA nephropathy is part of normal preventive medical care. In North America, where such screening is not done, the recorded rate of IgA nephropathy is significantly lower, but that doesn't mean it's less common - it could be that it's just not detected.