Clinical Features of Children With Henoch-Schonlein Purpura Risk Factors Associated With Renal Involvement

Abstract

Introduction. This study aimed to evaluate renal involvement and factors affecting the prognosis in patients with Henoch-Schonlein purpura (HSP).

Materials and Methods. The outcomes of 107 children diagnosed with HSP who had been followed up for at least 6 months were reviewed.

Results. Renal involvement was observed in 26.1% of the patients. The mean age of the patients with renal involvement was 8.8 ± 4.0 years as compared to 7.1 ± 2.9 years in the patients without renal involvement (P = .02). The risk of renal involvement was found to be significantly higher in the patients who were 10 years old and over (P < .001). In the group with renal involvement, the frequency of scrotal involvement was significantly higher than that of the group without renal involvement (P = .02). The mean serum immunoglobulin A level of the patients with renal involvements was significantly higher (P = .04) and the mean serum complement C3 levels was significantly lower (P = .04) than those of the patients without renal involvement. None of the patients with renal involvement reached end-stage kidney failure. No significant relationship was observed between the development of renal involvement and early steroid treatment.

Conclusions. This study proposes that in old children with HSP, elevated serum immunoglobulin A levels, decreased serum complement C3 levels, and scrotal involvement are associated with renal involvement. We failed to find any effect of steroid treatment on development of renal involvement.