Membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis in two sibships.

In one sibship, a brother had membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis (MPGN) Type III and a sister, Type I. In both children, clinical and laboratory manifestations were typical. In another sibship, both boys had Type I MPGN by glomerular morphology but over a 4 year period of follow-up, neither had hematuria or hypocomplementemia, both common manifestations of this type. Several other reports give suggestive evidence of MPGN in siblings but details are scanty. The familial nature of the disease adds to the earlier observation of its predilection for the white race to strengthen the concept that genetic factors are involved in its origin.