Membranous nephropathy (MN) is the most common cause of idiopathic nephrotic syndrome in white adults, accounting for apprxo20% of cases. Although spontaneous remission occurs in about one-third of patients, approx40% of patients develop kidney failure after 10 years. Eighty percent of cases are classified as "idiopathic," to conceal our ignorance about causes, whereas apprxo20% present with associated clinical conditions, including infections, autoimmune diseases, and cancers, and are classified as having secondary disease. It generally is considered that idiopathic MN is an autoimmune disease, whereas secondary forms involve exogenous antigens, such as viral and tumoral antigens.
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