[Pathogenesis and clinical course of hereditary nephropathies]

Hereditary diseases have to be considered in the differential diagnosis of many kidney diseases. The kidney can be affected by systemic metabolic diseases such as primary hyperoxaluria or Fabry's disease. Inborn errors of the coagulation cascade or the complement system may cause familiar forms of the hemolytic uremic syndrome. Of central interest are hereditary cystic kidney diseases with autosomal dominant polycystic kidney disease as its most prominent example. Hereditary forms of the nephrotic syndrome are usually caused by abnormalities of podocyte function. Alport's syndrome is a classical example of a basement membrane disease. Of special interest are hereditary defects in tubular transport mechanisms such as carrier defects affecting sodium reabsorption along the tubulus.