ABSTRACT
Study on all in-patients treated at Kidney Department of Bach Mai Hospital from 2000 to 2002, which divided into 2 groups: group 1 included 38 patients with lupus nephritis and nephrotic syndrome, group 2 included 45 patients with primary nephrotic syndrome (NS). Results: most of primary NS occurred before the age of 50 years old (95.6%), there was no difference between male and female. NS due to systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) had multiple clinical signs and was more severe than in primary NS. The prevalence of renal impairment in both primary and secondary NS was high (44.4% and 55.3%, respectively). The serum protein concentration in primary NS was significant lower than secondary NS (p<0.01). Nevertheless, serum cholesterol, HDL-C, LDL-C concentrations in primary NS were significant higher than secondary NS (p<0.01). In primary NS, the rate of minimal change glomerulonephritis was highest (51.1%), but in secondary NS, mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis accounted for highest rate (63.2%). In type IV in secondary NS due to SLE, there were symptoms of hypertension, renal failure, hemorrhage and the histological damages were more severe than in other types (p<0.05). Histological lesions in secondary membrane and mesangial proliferative glomerulonephritis due to SLE were more severe than primary diseases.