Glomerulonephritis

When comparing this pathological glomerulus to a normal one, note how here there seem to be more cells and the glomerulus appears to be more solid. One of the causes of glomerulonephritis is the autoimmune disease systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). In the immunofluorescence picture stained for IgG, note the accumulation of auto-antibodies at the glomerular membrane. SLE is caused by the production of antibodies against self- antigens. In the blood stream, these auto-antibodies form immune complexes with self-antigens such as DNA. The deposition of the immune complex at the glomerular membrane is responsible for the inflammatory reaction at the glomerulus.