Research Information System
Turkish Journal of Nephrology, vol.35, no.3, pp.1-3, 2026 (Scopus)
Background: Membranous nephropathy (MN) is a glomerular disease
characterized by subepithelial immune complex deposition and proteinuria. While
phospholipase A2 receptor (PLA2R1) is the main autoantigen in idiopathic MN,
thrombospondin type-1 domain-containing 7A (THSD7A) has also been implicated in
a subset of patients.
Methods: Seventy biopsy-confirmed MN patients and 81 healthy
controls were enrolled. Serum THSD7A levels were measured using ELISA, and
rs4664308 genotyping was performed by TaqMan real-time PCR. Associations
between THSD7A levels, genotypes, and clinical variables were analyzed using
appropriate statistical methods. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC)
analysis was conducted to assess the diagnostic performance of THSD7A.
Results: Serum THSD7A levels were significantly higher in MN
patients compared with controls (p = 0.016); however, ROC analysis demonstrated
limited diagnostic value (AUC = 0.671, sensitivity 70.6%, specificity 42.4%).
THSD7A levels showed no correlation with proteinuria, serum creatinine,
estimated glomerular filtration rate, or blood pressure. The rs4664308 AA
genotype and A allele were significantly more frequent in MN patients, whereas
the AG genotype and G allele were more common in healthy controls (p < 0.001
and p = 0.004, respectively). No association was observed between rs4664308
genotypes and serum THSD7A concentrations.
Conclusion: Although serum THSD7A levels were elevated in MN
patients, their limited diagnostic performance restricts their utility as standalone
biomarkers. In contrast, the rs4664308 AA genotype and A allele were strongly
associated with MN risk, suggesting potential value as genetic markers. Further
studies are needed to confirm these findings and evaluate their prognostic
significance.