The long-term outcome of childhood nephrotic syndrome in Germany: a cross-sectional study

• Published in: Clinical and experimental nephrology 2019-05, Vol.23 (5), p.676-688
• Main Authors: Aydin, Malik, Franke, Ingo, Kurylowicz, Lisa, Ganschow, Rainer, Lentze, Michael, Born, Mark, Hagemann, Rebekka
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: Age; Cataracts; Childhood; Children; Cross-sectional studies; Data processing; Hypercholesterolemia; Kidney diseases; Kidney transplantation; Low birth weight; Medicine; Medicine & Public Health; Myocardial infarction; Nephrology; Nephrotic syndrome; Original Article; Risk factors; Urology
• ISSN: 1342-1751; 1437-7799
• DOI: 10.1007/s10157-019-01696-8

Background Long-term outcomes of children with nephrotic syndrome have not been well described in the literature. Methods Cross-sectional study data analysis of n  = 43 patients with steroid-sensitive (SSNS) and n  = 7 patients with steroid-resistant (SRNS) nephrotic syndrome were retrospectively collected; patients were clinically examined at a follow-up visit (FUV), on average 30 years after onset, there was the longest follow-up period to date. Results The mean age at FUV was 33.6 years (14.4–50.8 years, n  = 41). The mean age of patients with SSNS at onset was 4.7 years (median 3.8 years (1.2–14.5 years), the mean number of relapses was 5.8 (0 to 29 relapses). Seven patients (16.3%) had no relapses. Eleven patients were “frequent relapsers” (25.6%) and four patients still had relapses beyond the age of 18 years. Except of cataracts and arterial hypertension, there were no negative long-term outcomes and only one patient was using immunosuppressant therapy at FUV. 55% of patients suffered from allergies and 47.5% had hypercholesterolemia. Two patients suffered a heart attack in adulthood. A younger age at onset (