Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis and chronic kidney disease (CKD)

Hoy et al studied risk for CKD from post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis (PSGN) in a remote Aboriginal community. The study showed that people who had history of PSGN had increased risk in developing CKD (albuminuria, decreased GFR) later in life. Although PSGN is increasingly uncommon in developed countries, it is still prevalent in developing countries or in this case poor communities in developed country. The risk factor was scabies which leaded to skin infection with streptococci.



Comment: It is generally accepted that PSGN occurring in adults portends a poorer prognosis than in children. The cohort subjects in this study confined to people less than 40 year old of age who had at least 5 years of clinical history of PSGN. A number of children aged 5-9 years were excluded from study. However, it is still interesting to compared renal outcome in people who developed PSGN in adult and those who developed as children.