The Characteristics of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis I Detected from School Urine Screening

ABSTRACT

PURPOSE:In Korea, the school urine screening program is a useful tool for screening urine abnormalities. It is particularly useful in early detection of membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis(MPGN) I, which frequently progresses to chronic renal failure. In this study, we studied the medical history, laboratory findings, and histologic findings of MPGN I to gain helpful information on early detection and treatment. METHODS:The subjects were 19 children, who were diagnosed with MPGN I from kidney biopsies that were performed in ten nationwide university hospitals because of abnormal urine findings from school urine screening programs conducted from July 1999 to April 2004. We divided the patients into 2 groups, a nephrotic range proteinuria group(n=8) and a non- nephrotic proteinuria group(n=11), and retrospectively analyzed the clinical features, laboratory findings, histologic findings, treatment, and clinical course. RESULTS:The mean age at the first abnormal urinalysis was 10.6+/-2.2 years in the nephrotic proteinuria group and 9.6+/-3.2 years in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group. The mean age at the time of kidney biopsy was 11.3+/-2.3 years in the nephrotic range proteinuria group and 10.4+/-3.2 years in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group respectively. There was no significant difference in the mean age and sex between the two groups. In the nephrotic proteinuria group, 6 children had a low plasma C3 level and in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group, 8 children had a low plasma C3 level, but there was no significant difference between the 2 groups. There was no significant difference in the laboratory test results(including WBC count, RBC count, platelet count and other serologic tests) between the 2 groups except for 24 hour urine protein secretion. There was no difference between the 2 groups with regard to the acute and chronic changes in the glomerulus on light microscopic findings, IgG, IgA, Ig M, C1q, C3, C4, fibrogen deposition on immunofluoroscence findings, and mesangial deposits, subendothelial deposits, and subepithelial deposits on electron microscopic findings. The children were treated with corticosteroids, ACE(angiotensin-converting enzyme) inhibitors, dipyridamole and other immunosuppressive agents. During the course of treatment, there were no children whose clinical condition worsened. Among 19 children, 3 children went into remission (2 in the nephrotic proteinuria group, 1 in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group) and 9 children went into a partial remission(4 in the nephrotic proteinuria group, 5 in the non-nephrotic proteinuria group) on urinalysis. There was no significant difference in the treatment results between the two groups. CONCLUSION:The 73.7% of children who were incidentally diagnosed with MPGN I by the school urine screening program had reduced C3. 42.1% of the children had nephrotic range proteinuria. There were no significant differences in clinical features, laboratory test results, light microscopic, immunofluorescence microscopic, and electron microscopic findings between the nephrotic proteinuria group and the non-nephrotic proteinuria group except for the 24 hour urine protein secretion. Therefore, for early detection of MPGN I during the school urine screening program, we strongly recommend a kidney biopsy if children have abnormal urine findings such as persistent proteinuria and persistent hematuria, or if the serum C3 is reduced.