Clinical course and treatment results of IgA nephropathy in children

The clinical course as well as the effects of the treatment in 27 children suffering from IgA nephropathy were followed in this study. The observation period lasted from 1.5 to 15.5 years, mean 9.1. The clinical picture according to changes in urine was the criterion of classification into 4 groups, and was related to the WHO classification of pathomorphological types. Hypertension as well as acute renal failure were observed in each clinical group except the group of children with erythrocyturia and/or haematuria. Depending on the pathomorphological changes in kidneys, different groups of drugs were used, e.g. anticoagulants, corticosteroids and also alkylating agents. In 9 children no treatment was prescribed. Only 6 children showed regression of urine changes: 2 of them with steroid-sensitive nephrotic syndrome and 1 with steroid-resistant nephrotic syndrome. In 12 children, erythrocyturia and proteinuria decreased and the intervals between successive seizures of haematuria became longer. In 3 of 8 children with nephrotic syndrome, chronic renal failure as well as end-stage renal disease were observed. In 2 of them hypertension was present during the entire observation period and it was difficult to achieve control using hypotensive drugs. In the remaining 2 children, regression of nephrotic syndrome was found, but slight proteinuria and hypertension are observed.