[Clinico-anatomical forms of primary glomerulonephritis]

The various clinicopathological forms of primary glomerulonephritis (GN) in humans include lipoid nephrosis with its histological variants (minimal change disease, focal segmental glomerular sclerosis, diffuse mesangial proliferation), membranous GN, IgA nephropathy, membranoproliferative GN (type I and type II) and crescentic GN. Each of these entities is characterised by pathological, clinical, and immunological features. Although the precise etiology of primary GN remains unknown, important progress from experimental models has been recently obtained in the understanding of the mechanisms of the glomerular lesions and their progression. Such investigations may afford possibility for preventing glomerular destruction.