Development of hormone dependence in children with hormone-sensitive nephrotic syndrome at the onset of the disease

Abstract

Objective. To identify the features of the development of hormone dependence in children with hormone-sensitive nephrotic syndrome at the onset of the disease.Characteristics of children and research methods. The authors carried out a retro- and prospective study with age assessment at the onset of the disease and first relapse in 118 children with hormone-sensitive nephrotic syndrome at the onset with a rarely and often recurrent course.Results. The authors revealed a rarely and often recurrent course in 118 children with hormone-sensitive nephrotic syndrome at the onset of the disease, respectively, in 51 and 49% of cases with the development of hormone dependence (64%) and without (36%). They found statistically significant differences: the age of children at the onset of nephrotic syndrome, who developed hormone dependence and who did not develop, was 3.4 [2.2; 4.8] and 4.2 [3.0; 5.6] years accordingly (p<0.05); the age of children with nephrotic syndrome who developed hormone dependence and who did not develop hormone dependence by first relapse, was 3.8 [2.6; 5.1] and 5.7 [4.0; 7.4] years accordingly (p<0.001). The duration of the period until the first relapse after the onset in children with nephrotic syndrome, who developed hormone dependence and who did not develop hormone dependence, was 4 [4; 5] and 11 [7; 17] months, respectively (p<0.00001). Hormone dependence was revealed in 75 and 47% patients, respectively (p<0.05) among children with nephrotic syndrome who had the first relapse before 5 years of age and after 5 years of age.Conclusion. The age of children at the onset and the first relapse of nephrotic syndrome, which developed hormone dependence, is significantly less than those without hormone dependence. Children with nephrotic syndrome who have had their first relapse before 5 years of age were more likely to become hormone-dependent.