Amyloid Nephropathy can Cause Nephrotic Syndrome

Amyloidosis is a systemic disease which is characterized by the deposition of insoluble amyloid protein fiber outside the cells. It can be caused by various reasons and can cause damages to many organs and tissues and affect their functions. If these amyloid protein deposit in the kidneys, there will be renal damages and this is called amyloid nephropathy and patients will have a series of symptoms and signs. Nephrotic syndrome is the main clinical manifestation and in the end it will lead to death due to kidney failure.

There are more than 3/4 patients have symptoms and signs of renal damages and it can be divided into 4 stages according to the severity of kidney involvements. When there are symptoms of nephrotic syndrome (massive proteinuria, hypoalbuminemia and edema are common and hyperlipidemia is rare) or if there is only massive proteinuria, it means that the disease has entered into stage 3 and this is a crucial period for effective preventions and treatments or it will continue to deteriorate and finally develop into the end stage (kidney failure).

Renal venous thrombosis is the most common complication of nephrotic syndrome. In most cases, the onset is dormant and is refractory. A few cases has rapid onset and is accompanied by the symptoms of abdominal pain, worsened blood urine, increased protein leakage in urine and decline of renal functions. In the tests of KUB and B ultrasound, the kidneys are obviously enlarged. Nephrotic syndrome caused by AA protein accounts for 30% to 40% and that are caused by AL protein accounts for 35%/. Once there is symptoms of nephrotic syndrome, there will be progressive decline of renal functions and the illness will progress rapidly and the prognosis is poor (the survival rate within 3 years is less than 10%).

Since proteinuria is the first symptom of amyloid nephropathy, therefore enough attention and importance should be aroused once there is bubble in urine and in the early stage only renal biopsy can confirm the diagnosis.