Clinicopathological study on children with Henoch-Schonlein nephritis

Objective To investigate the clinical and pathological characteristics in children with Henoch-Schonlein nephritis (HSPN).Methods The analysis was performed retrospectively in 65 children with HSPN admitted to our department from 1998 to 2004.Results (1) Hematuria and proteinuria was the most common clinical type and nephrotic syndrome came after it.Simple hematuria or proteinuria and acute glomerulonephritis were less.(2) The percentage of nephrotic level proteinuria in cases with gastrointestinal symptoms was higher than that in cases without gastrointestinal symptoms (respectively 51.3% and 39.3%).And the percentage of nephrotic level proteinuria in cases with bloody stool was higher than that in cases without bloody stool (respectively 61.5% and 42.3%),but the differences between these two groups were not significant.The percentage of nephrotic syndrome in cases with gross hematuria(52.4%)was much higher than that in cases with microscopic hematuria(23.3%),and the difference between the two groups was significant.(3) The majority of the pathological changes of HSPN were Grade Ⅱ and Ⅲ.Simple hematuria or proteinuria had mild pathological changes,80% of which were Grade II.Hematuria and proteinuria type and nephrotic syndrome type had more pathological changes over Grade Ⅲ.Conclusion In children with HSPN,proteinuria is tending to become severe while the gastrointestinal symptoms prevalence and their severe extent increase.Gross hematuria has close relationship with the severe extent of renal injury.The clinical presentations are almost consistent with the renal pathological changes.