Viral antigens in kidney biopsies of children with glomerulonephritis

: A relationship between clinical forms of glomerulonephritis and incidence of viral antigens in renal tissue was revealed: Hepatitis B virus antigens (HBsAg) are more frequently detected in the glomeruli in the patients with nephrotic glomerulonephritis, Herpes simplex antigens are detected in the glomeruli in mixed glomerulonephritis, and cytomegaloviral and Herpes simplex antigens are detected in the epithelium of the proximal canaliculi in patients with hematuric glomerulonephritis. No correlations between the persistence of Herpes simplex type 1, cytomegalovirus, and HBsAg in the renal tissue were detected. HBsAg is detected in the renal tissue mainly in the children without free HBsAg in the blood serum. This may be indicative of an important role of specific immune complexes in the pathogenesis of glomerulonephritis associated with hepatitis B viral infection. The results point to an appreciable contribution of a persistent viral infection to the progress of glomerulonephritis.