What is meant by the term Glomerulonephritis?
Glomerulonephritis is a term meaning inflammation of the kidneys. The short form “nephritis” is often used instead of glomerulonephritis. We only know the causes in about 10% of such cases. It is the commonest cause of kidney failure in Singapore as in most countries. Fortunately, for the majority, the disease is mild and renal failure occurs only in about 10% of cases. How does glomerulonephritis come about? When bacteria invade our bodies certain complexes composed of bacteria and antibodies are formed. The deposition of these complexes in the kidneys result in inflammation of the kidneys. This is called glomerulonephritis. If the inflammation is temporary, the damage is negligible and healing occurs rapidly. If the inflammation continues, sometimes for many years, the kidney tissues become damaged. This damage appears as scars in a kidney biopsy. When scarring becomes severe, renal failure occurs. Why do some people develop glomerulonephritis and others do not? We do not know why so
