GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

Glomerulonephritis is also known as glomerular nephritis (GN) or glomerular disease. It is

a disease of the kidney, characterized by inflammation of the glomeruli. Glomeruli are very
small blood vessels in the kidneys that act as tiny little filters - there are about one million
glomeruli in each kidney. The disease damages the kidneys' ability to remove waste and
excess fluids from the body.

COMMON TYPES OF GLOMERULONEPHRITIS

DISORDER COMMON CLINICAL LIKELY PATHOLOGIC ETIOLOGIC OR
MANIFESTATION MACHANISM ASSOCIATED FACTORS

Acute poststreptoccocal Acute nephritis, sometimes Trapped immune Streptoccoci

glomerulonephritis with nephrosis and complexes IgG and C3 in
hypocomplementemia GBM

Nonstreptococcal acute Acute nephritis, sometimes Trapped immune Other bateria, parasites,
glomerulonephritis with nephrosis and complexes viruses
hypocomplementemia

Rapidly progressive Nephritis, crescent Trapped immune Idopathic, streptococci,

glomerulonephritis formation complexes and other systemic lupus
immune mechanisms erythematous
Anti-GBM antibodies Goodpasture’s sydrome

IgA nephropathy Nephrosis, hematuria Trapped immune Infections

(Berger’s Disease) complexes (IgA, sometimes
with C3, IgG and IgM)

Minimal change disease Nephrosis Undetermined immune Infections, immunizations,

(lipoid nephrosis) mechanism atopic disorders

Focal segmental Nephrosis, or proteinuria Trapped immune HIV infection, herion

glomerulosclerosis without nephrotic syndrome complexes (IgM and C3) addition

Membranous Nephrosis Formation of immune Systemic lupus

glomerulonephritis complexesin situ (igG and erythematous; certain
(membranous C3) tumors and infections;
nephropathy) exposure to certain drugs,
gold, or mercury

Membranoproliferative Slowly progressive nephriti, Variable: Hepatitis B and C, systemic

glomerulonephritis or sometimes nephrosis alternativecomplement lupus erythematous, liver
(mesangiocapillary pathway activation, or disease, certain cancers
glomerulonephritis) immune complex

Chronic Progressive renal Variable Other types of

Glomerulonephritis insufficient glomerulonephritis;
hereditary or multisystem
disease
The pathophysiology of proteinuria and of decreased glomerular filtration rate (GFR)
during glomerulonephritis.

Podocyte injury results from direct complement binding and from activation (*) of glomerular and
infiltrating cells, leading to proteinuria, the magnitude of which is amplified by elevations in single
nephron plasma flow rates (QA) and glomerular capillary pressure (PGC). The fall in GFR is attributed to
reductions in the filtering surface area (and possibly other) components of the glomerular capillary
ultrafiltration coefficient (Kf), which can result from reversible mesangial cell (MC) contraction,
irreversible structural damage, or a combination of both. Abbreviations are: ROS, reactive oxygen
species; TxA2, thromboxane A2; GFs, growth factors; NO, nitric oxide; GEN, glomerular endothelial
cells; PMN, polymorphonuclear cells; MPh, macrophages; IC, immune complex; GBM, glomerular
basement membrane.