Nephrotic syndrome in primary glomerulonephritis

The authors provide the clinico-morphological data obtained in 189 patients with primary glomerulonephritis (GN). The disease was manifested clinically by the nephrotic syndrome (NS). The NS was most commonly induced by membranous-proliferative GN (MPGN), membranous GN (MGN), diffuse mesangio-proliferative GN and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS), accounting for 31, 25, 22.8 and 8.7% of cases, respectively. Hypertension together with edema was among the most common symptoms of the NS in adult patients. Functional disorders of the kidneys recorded in FSGS, MPGN and MGN patients were more significant as compared to those in other patients. The morphological findings alone, obtained with the aid of light, immunofluorescent and electron microscopy, play the key role in the diagnosis of different patterns of GN.