follow-up of two children with basement membrane abnormalities
TRANSCRIPT
Sirs,We would like to report the follow-up of two childrenaged 10 months and 15 months who presented withnephrotic-range proteinuria. Kidney biopsy revealed Al-port-like abnormalities, namely basket-weave appear-ance with thickening and splitting of the lamina densa ofbasement membrane on electron microscopy. Light mi-croscopy was unremarkable in both these patients. Wehave published these cases previously in Pediatric Neph-rology [1].
Currently both the boys, now 10.5 years and 11 yearsof age, are well. One has no proteinuria, edema, azote-mia, or hypertension with normal growth. The other hasnephrotic-range proteinuria (urinary protein to creatinineratio between 4 and 5 mg/mg), but has no edema, azote-
mia, or hypertension, and has normal growth parameters.The boy with proteinuria has been receiving oral enala-pril for the last 4 years. We have not repeated the kidneybiopsies. Neither boy has developed hematuria, deafness,or eye abnormalities described in Alport syndrome.
It was interesting to read a report by Akhtar and Sabban [2] of a similar case in a 17-year-old Saudi girl,and we wanted to share our experience with readers.There must be more cases with basement membrane ab-normalities that were thought to be characteristic of Al-port syndrome in other glomerular diseases.
References
1. Mehta KP, Ali US, Chitale AR, Jha U, Khubchandani S (1993)Glomerular basement membrane abnormalities in infants withheavy proteinuria. Pediatr Nephrol 7:401–403
2. Akhtar M, Al-Sabban E (2000) Alport-like glomerular changesin a patient with nephrotic syndrome: report of a case. PediatrNephrol 14:973–975
K.P. Mehta (✉ ) · U. AliNephrology Division, Bai Jerbai Wadia Hospital for Children and Research Center, Mumbai-400 012, India
Pediatr Nephrol (2001) 16:688 © IPNA 2001
L E T T E R T O T H E E D I T O R S
Kumud P. Mehta · Uma Ali
Follow-up of two children with basement membrane abnormalities