Glomerulonephritis Resource Centre

Glomerulonephritis (GN) is a kidney disease in which the filtering system (known as glomeruli) of the kidneys become inflamed and eventually scarred, and hence slowly loosing the kidney’s important function of waste and excessive water removal from the body. GN is the second most common cause of kidney disease in Singapore and the data from Singapore Renal Registry showed that it accounted for 17.3 % of the kidney failure patients in 2006.

What causes Glomerulonephritis?

GN may be caused by specific problems with the body's immune system. Often, the precise cause of GN is unknown. If GN occurs on its own, it's known as primary glomerulonephritis. If another disease, such as lupus or diabetes, is the cause, it's called secondary glomerulonephritis.

Some of the common causes of primary GN include :

• IgA Nephropathy

• Focal Segmental Global Sclerosis (FSGS)

• Membranous GN

Many conditions are known to cause or increase the risk for secondary GN, including:

• Infections : viral and bacteria infections, hepatitis viruses, HIV, heart infections, abscesses

• Immune diseases : lupus, Goodpasture’s syndrome, blood vessels inflammatory diseases (vasculitis)

• Drugs

• Chemicals

• Cancers

• Diabetes

• Amyloidosis

What are the signs and symptoms of GN?

Signs and symptoms of GN may depend on whether you have the acute or chronic form, and the cause. Often there is no symptoms and is usually detected during pre-employment or life insurance screening as presence of blood or protein in the urine.

In Singapore, cases of young men with GN are often picked up through the routine medical examinations during their National Service enlistment.The condition may develop quickly, with loss of kidney function occurring over weeks and months (called rapidly progressive GN).In about a quarter of people with chronic GN, there is no history of kidney disease and the disorder first appears as chronic kidney failure.

Signs and symptoms may include:

• Blood in the urine (dark, rust-coloured or brown urine)

• Foamy urine (due to presence of protein in the urine)

• High blood pressure

• Joint aches and pains

• Skin rash (especially over face, legs and buttocks)

• Fever and body aches

• Swellings of the face, eyes, legs or abdomen

• Symptoms of chronic renal failure may develop (less urination, nausea, vomiting, lethargic, generalized itch, leg swelling and shortness of breath)

Find a Renal Physician

Expert Author:

Dr Roger Tan, Consultant Nephrologist