Primary Glomerulonephritis
Alternate Names : GN
Primary glomerulonephritis, or GN, involves damage to the glomeruli in the kidneys. Glomeruli are the filtering structures of the kidneys. When glomeruli are damaged, protein and blood cells may leak into the urine.
What is going on in the body?
Primary GN stems from damage to the glomeruli. Most often this is the result of inflammation of the tissue. The injury can be mild with few symptoms. It can also be severe and life threatening.
Six major syndromes are associated with primary GN, including:
acute glomerulonephritis, which may develop suddenly after a throat, skin, or upper respiratory infection
blood in the urine, called hematuria
chronic glomerulonephritis, which develops slowly
nephrotic syndrome, which causes a set of symptoms including bodywide swelling
protein in the urine, called proteinuria
rapidly progressive glomerulonephritis, which often follows a kidney inflammation and causes rapid loss of kidney function
What are the causes and risks of the disease?
Several factors can contribute to the risk for primary GN. These include the following:
autoimmune disorders, such as a condition called systemic lupus erythematosus
certain cancers
chronic hepatitis, an infection of the liver
genetic tendencies
infections, such as a heart infection known as endocarditis
rheumatic fever, an immune response that may follow a group A streptococcal infection such as strep throat
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