Incidence of glomerulonephritis in congenital syphilis.
We present 5 patients with abnormal urinalysis from a series of 11 infants with congenital syphilis. Three of these 5 patients had a biopsy that demonstrated a membranous glomerulonephritis, and in two cases treponemal antigens were identified in the capillaries of the glomeruli. We suggest that glomerulonephritis with few clinical manifestations is a frequent complication of congenital syphilis and that every patient with congenital syphilis must be studied in order to detect alterations in glomerular function.
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex / Q000032:analysis; D003165:Complement System Proteins / Q000032:analysis; D003450:Cryoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D005921:Glomerulonephritis / Q000175:diagnosis*; D006801:Humans; D007105:Immune Complex Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D007136:Immunoglobulins / Q000032:analysis; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007668:Kidney / Q000503:physiopathology; D007677:Kidney Function Tests; D007678:Kidney Glomerulus / Q000473:pathology / Q000648:ultrastructure; D008297:Male; D008854:Microscopy, Electron; D013590:Syphilis, Congenital / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology
D000936:Antigen-Antibody Complex; D003450:Cryoglobulins; D007136:Immunoglobulins; D003165:Complement System Proteins