Does More Proteinuria Mean More Serious Nephritis?

The common manifestations of Glomerular Nephritis are: Edema, Proteinuria, Hematuria, Hypertension. Proteinuria is not only one important reference of diagnosis, but also an vital detection of treatment effect. Only the amount of urine protein can not indicate the severity of Glomerular Nephritis and isn’t the judging standard of renal functions. Urine protein should combine with other clinical symptoms and other renal function examinations to indicate the disease severity. The reasons are as the following:
1. The manifestation of some nephritis emphasizes on hematuria(Hematuria and Kidney Disease) without Proteinuria (Proteinuria and Kidney Disease).
2. The amount of urine protein is not responding to the pathological changes of kidneys at all, such as Minimal Change Nephritis. The clinical manifestation is amounts of Proteinuria, but the pathology shows normal in light microscope and negative immunofluorescence. In light microscope, it shows the feet-fusion of glomerular epithelial cells.
3. In the end stage of Chronic Kidney Disease, because of glomerular sclerosis, breakdown of renal functions, and the drop of glomerular filtration, the amount of urine protein decreases.
4. When the plasma concentration reduces, the fixed amount of urine protein in 24hs decreases.

Due to these above reasons, it is not suggested to just regard the amount of Proteinuria as the standard of the severity of Nephritis. The correct diagnosis method is to combine the urine protein to other clinical examinations under the guidance of doctors.