Korean J Pediatr.  2005 Jan;48(1):81-84.

A Case of Hypocomplementemic Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Presenting Features of Membranoproliferative Glomerulonephritis

• Lee KA
• Ha TS

Abstract

Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP) is a systemic disorder characterized by leukocytoclastic vasculitis that can affect multiple organs predominantly the skin, joints, gastrointestinal tract and kidney. Although the specific pathogenesis of HSP is not known, there are several hypotheses. Although the importance of the complement activation in glomerular injury in HSP has been suggested, the complement levels and the blood pressure in those patients are usually normal and massive proteinuria is not common. And pathologic renal changes also have been reported to show a large variety of glomerular changes. However, to our knowledge, a membranoproliferative glomerulo-nephritis (MPGN) is a rare renal clinicopathologic manifestation of HSP. We report a 6-year-old boy with HSP who developed MPGN with hypertension, massive proteinuria, and hypo-complementemia revealed activation of the classical complement pathway, although we could not exclude the possibility of other hypocomplementemic glomerulonephritis including post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis.

Keyword

Henoch-Schonlein purpura; Hypocomplementemic glomerulonephritis; membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis

MeSH Terms

Blood Pressure
Child
Complement Activation
Complement Pathway, Classical
Complement System Proteins
Gastrointestinal Tract
Glomerulonephritis
Glomerulonephritis, Membranoproliferative*
Humans
Hypertension
Joints
Kidney
Male
Proteinuria
Purpura, Schoenlein-Henoch*
Skin
Vasculitis
Complement System Proteins