Read more about this disease, some with Classification – Types – Signs and symptoms – Genetics – Pathophysiology – Diagnosis – Screening – Prevention – Treatment and management – Cures and much more, some including pictures and video when available.
Glomerulonephritis, also known as glomerular nephritis, abbreviated GN, is a renal disease characterized by inflammation of the glomeruli, or small blood vessels in the kidneys.[1] It may present with isolated hematuria and/or proteinuria (blood resp. protein in the urine); or as a nephrotic syndrome, a nephritic syndrome, acute renal failure, or chronic renal failure. They are categorised into several different pathological patterns, which are broadly grouped into non-proliferative or proliferative types. Diagnosing the pattern of GN is important because the outcome and treatment differs in different types. Primary causes are ones which are intrinsic to the kidney, whilst secondary causes are associated with certain infections (bacterial, viral or parasitic pathogens), drugs, systemic disorders (SLE, vasculitis) or cancers.
Thin basement membrane disease is an autosomal dominant inherited disease characterised by thin glomerular basement membranes on electron microscopy. It is a benign condition that causes persistent microscopic haematuria.
This is characterised by low numbers of cells (lack of hypercellularity) in the glomeruli. They usually cause nephrotic syndrome. This includes the following types:
This form of GN causes 80% of nephrotic syndrome in children, but only 20% in adults. As the name indicates, there are no changes visible on simple light microscopy, but on electron microscopy there is fusion of podocytes (supportive cells in the glomerulus). Immunohistochemistry staining is negative. Treatment consists of supportive care for the massive fluid accumulation in the patients body (= oedema) and as well as steroids to halt the disease process (typically Prednisone 1 mg/kg). Over 90% of children respond well to steroids, being essentially cured after 3 months of treatment. Adults have a lower response rate (80%). Failure to respond to steroids (‘steroid resistant’) or return of the disease when steroids are stopped (‘steroid dependent’) may require cytotoxic therapy (such as cyclosporin) which is associated with many side-effects.
FSGS may be primary or secondary to reflux nephropathy, Alport syndrome, heroin abuse or HIV. FSGS presents as a nephrotic syndrome with varying degrees of impaired renal function (seen as a rising serum creatinine, hypertension). As the name suggests, only certain foci of glomeruli within the kidney are affected, and then only a segment of an individual glomerulus. The pathological lesion is sclerosis (fibrosis) within the glomerulus and hyalinisation of the feeding arterioles, but no increase in the number of cells (hence non-proliferative). The hyaline is an amorphous material, pink, homogeneous, resulting from combination of plasma proteins, increased mesangial matrix and collagen. Staining for antibodies and complement is essentially negative. Steroids are often tried but not shown to be effective. 50% of people with FSGS continue to have progressive deterioration of kidney function, ending in renal failure.
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