Henoch-Schoenlein nephritis in adults: a clinical and morphological study

Renal prognosis is not clear in adults with Henoch-Schoenlein nephritis (HSN). Renal biopsy material from seventeen adult patients with HSN was studied by light-, electron-, and immunofluorescent microscopy, and a clinicopathologic correlation was made. The outstanding glomerular lesion was a mesangial IgA deposition, apart from the proliferative glomerulonephritis associated with segmental lesions or crescents. At the time of biopsy five patients (29%) presented with renal insufficiency complicated by nephrotic syndrome and/or hypertension. After a mean follow-up period of 3.2 years, ten patients showed complete recovery, two had minor urinary abnormalities, and five exhibited moderate proteinuria with or without hematuria. No patients had died nor developed chronic renal failure. Our data indicate that the outcome of HSN in adults is favorable similar to that in children. No initial clinical nor pathological features could be associated with a poor prognosis in this study. Further follow-up is needed in view of the unpredictable nature of this disease.