Why Nephrotic Syndrome Relapse Easily

If you are unfortunately a Nephrotic Syndrome patient or have a child with Nephrotic Syndrome, you may find Nephrotic Syndrome has a high relapse rate. What is worse, every relapse of Nephrotic Syndrome will worsen kidney function and make illness condition more serious. However, why Nephrotic Syndrome relapses so easily at all?

Nephrotic Syndrome is a common kidney disorder in which the kidneys are damaged, leading to large amounts of proteinuria (>3.5g/24h), severe swelling, hyperlipidemia and hypoproteinemia and so on. All these symptoms occur because of decreased kidney function, but in turn they worsen kidney function, so it is beneficial for patients to bring all the Nephrotic Syndrome symptoms under control.

Nephrotic Syndrome can be divided into different types, and most of them are related with our immune system. With an abnormal immune system or poor immunity, antigen invade our body and combine with antibody, leading to the occurrence of immune complexes. These immune complexes circulate with blood and when they lodge in kidney, inflammation will occur. Inflammation helps us remove immune complexes, but meanwhile it damages our kidney tissues directly. Glomerular filtration membrane plays the role of preventing protein from being leaked and once it is damaged, protein leak and other symptoms appear as well.

Once being diagnosed with Nephrotic Syndrome, patients are mostly prescribed with immunosuppressive agents to block inflammation. These medications show quick and good treatment effects in blocking inflammation, which can help to avoid further kidney damages. But usually once patients reduce the dose or stop taking the medications, Nephrotic Syndrome relapses and this is because these immune complexes are not removed at all. Only when we clear immune complexes away from the kidney, can patients avoid relapse of Nephrotic Syndrome effectively.

Nephrotic Syndrome is a common kidney problem, no matter among adult or children, so it is necessary for us to learn how to prevent Nephrotic Syndrome relapses and some other related knowledge about it.