[Clinical and morphologic features in patients with acute nephritis syndrome]

Acute glomerulonephritis is a distinct clinical entity, more frequently found in younger age. We report 69 patients with AcGN (25 female and 44 male) mean age 26 years (range 15-58). The disease is clinically characterized with hypertension (57%), edema (59%) and oliguria (35%). Urine analysis showed microhaematuria/proteinuria (36%) and micro/macrohaematuria alone in 89%, while azothaemia was observed in 16% pts, and decreased serum complement levels in one third of patients, more often decrease of C3 (33%) than C4 (15%). Initial infection of the upper respiratory tract was seen in 65%, pneumonia in 8%. In 25% of pts. there were no data of previous infection. Cultures of pharyngeal smear revealed. Streptococcus only in 2 pts. Elevated AST titer was found in 32% pts. Eleven kidney biopsies were made, and histological examination showed 2 normal findings, 6 mesangioproliferative GH, 2 endocapillary GN and 1 membranoproliferative GN. Follow ups have showed urinary abnormalities in 25% of pts., without developing renal failure.