Lectin binding in membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. Evidence for N-acetylglucosamine in dense intramembranous deposits.

Type II membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN-II) is characterized by electron-dense intramembranous deposits (DIMD) in the basal laminae of the kidney. These deposits selectively bind the lectin wheat germ agglutinin (WGA) or its succinylated derivative. In renal tissue samples from normal controls, Type I membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis, and several other renal diseases, only a normal pattern of WGA binding was observed and no membrane-oriented deposits reacted with WGA. Additional attempts to stain the DIMD with any of eight other lectins or eight antisera to renal antigens were uniformly unsuccessful. Discrete WGA reactivity indicates that the deposits contain appreciable quantities of internally linked N-acetylglucosamine and may also provide a valuable adjunct in making the histologic diagnosis of MPGN-II.