Damages Caused by Nephrotic Syndrome

Nephrotic syndrome is a serious disease which could damage children’s health and affect their growth and development. Then what are the damages caused by nephrotic syndrome?

Infection

It is the most common complication and the main factor of death. According to statistics, death caused by direct or indirect infection accounts for 70% of the death rate of children with kidney disease. Infection is often the inducement of repeated attack or deterioration of nephrotic syndrome, it can also affect the curative effect of hormones.

Hypercoagulable state and thromboembolism

After getting the nephrotic syndrome, coagulation and fibrinolytic system may have changes as below:

● Increase of fibrinogen

● Increase of IV and V blood coagulation factor

● Decline of antithrombin III

● Decline of plasminogen activity

● Number of blood platelet may increase, and its adhesion and aggregation force could rise.

Metabolic disorders of calcium and vitamin D

After getting nephrotic syndrome, vitamin D binding protein(VDBP) in the blood lost from urine, then deficiency of vitamin D could affect the calcium absorption in intestines and cause hyperparathyroidism. The clinical symptoms include hypocalcemia, vitamin D deficiency and poor bone calcification.

Hypovolemia

Due to low plasma albumin and decline of plasma colloid osmotic pressure, children with nephrotic syndrome often have hypovolemia. The symptoms include orthostatic hypotension blood, prerenal azotemia and even shock.

Acute renal hypofunction

Its causes are:

● Serious renal interstitium edema

● Hypovolemia

● Complicated by bilateral renal venous thrombosis

● Tubulointerstitial lesions caused by drugs

Renal tubules dysfunction

It can be manifest as glycosuria, aminoaciduria, lost potassium and phosphorus in urine, concentrating function deficiency, etc.

Atherosclerosis

Children may have sustained hyperlipidemia. When involving the coronary artery, patients may have chest distress, angina, change of electrocardiogram and even sudden death.

Neurological symptoms

Children may have neurological symptoms like headache, twitch, visual impairment, etc. It may be caused by hypertensive encephalopathy, cerebral edema, dilutional hyponatremia, hypocalcemia and hypomagnesemia.