Clinical analysis of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis and C 3 glomerulopathy in children / 中华实用儿科临床杂志

ABSTRACT

Objective:To investigate the clinical features of acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (APSGN) and C 3 glomerulopathy (C 3G) in children, and to improve the understanding, diagnosis and treatment of C 3G in children with atypical APSGN. Methods:The clinical data of 100 children whose were clinically diagnosed with APSGN and admitted to the Beijing Children′s Hospital, Capital Medical University from January 2016 to December 2021 were collected and retrospectively analyzed.Seventy-three cases finally diagnosed with APSGN were included in the APSGN group and 27 cases with C 3G were classified into the C 3G group.The clinical manifestations, laboratory results, treatment and prognosis of the 2 groups of children were analyzed and compared by the t-test, Mann-Whitney U test and χ2 test. Results:Both APSGN and C 3G patients had a history of streptococcal infection at the early stage of the disease.There was no significant difference in the onset age and gender between the 2 groups (all P>0.05). The clinical manifestations of APSGN and C 3G at the early stage are sometimes difficult to distinguish.However, the incidence rates of gross hematuria (92.6%) and nephrotic proteinuria (66.7%) in the C 3G group were higher than those in the APSGN group (69.8%, 30.1%) ( χ2=5.583, 10.960; all P<0.05). The laboratory test results suggested that compared with the C 3G group, the APSGN group had higher albumin levels [(36.3±7.4) g/L vs.(28.9±6.8) g/L], but lower triglycerides [(1.2±0.6) mmol/L vs.(1.6±0.7) mmol/L], blood urea [(7.6±5.6) mmol/L vs.(14.7±16.3) mmol/L], blood creatinine [(66.2±45.2) μmol/L vs.(120.1±170.3) μmol/L], and urine protein levels [(43.5±58.5) g/24 h vs.(319.2±994.8) g/24 h] ( t=4.655, 2.738, 2.241, 1.624, 1.448; all P<0.05). As for treatment, the use rates of hormones and other immunosuppressants in the C 3G group were higher than those in the APSGN group (59.3% vs.12.3%, 29.6% vs.1.4%) ( χ2=23.15, 19.22; all P<0.05). The follow-up data revealed that compared with the APSGN group, the C 3G group took a longer time for gross hematuria and microscopic hematuria symptoms to disappear, proteinuria test to turn negative and complement C 3 to recover [51.1(14.3, 90.0) d vs.14.9(6.0, 15.5) d; 218.3(60.0, 277.5) d vs.65.5(27.0, 82.5) d; 127.9(60.0, 180.0) d vs.38.2(13.0, 53.6) d; 129.3(55.5, 225.0) d vs.39.1(24.0, 51.0) d] ( U=2.395, 2.730, 2.890, 3.054; all P<0.05). Conclusions:APSGN children with relatively severe clinical manifestations during the acute stage, especially with unrelieved nephrotic proteinuria, should be highly suspected with C 3G.Such patients should be treated with steroids and undergo renal biopsy and complement investigation if necessary, so as to identify the cause early, adjust the treatment and improve their prognosis.