Glomerulonemephritis

How kidneys work and function in our body.

1 - Nephrons 2 - Glomerulus 3 - Renal Artery 4 - Ureter

Inflammation in the Kidneys

The term glomerulonephritis (glo·mer·u·lo·ne·phri·tis)

comes from Latin means "inflammation of the kidneys glomeruli."

Glomerulonephritis or Nephritis

Glomerulonephritis or nephritis (#2 on image) is a condition in which the glomeruli, (the tiny filters which help clean the blood), have become damaged.

Inside each nephron is a glomerulus, a special strainer that keeps blood cells and needed substances in and extra fluid and wastes out.

Strep Throat

There are many types of glomerulonephritis. Some are inherited, while others may occur after certain diseases like strep throat.

Unfortunately, most types have no known causes. Some people recover with no medical treatment, while other kinds are treatable with medications.

However, some types of glomerulonephritis may not respond successfully to treatment and possibly lead to chronic kidney disease.

Could Glomerulonephritis

be caused by the body's immune system?

Growing evidence

There is growing evidence suggesting glomerulonephritis is caused by the body's immune system. The job of the body's immune system is to protect the body against foreign materials (called antigens) and produce antibodies that will attack the antigens and bind to them.

This process brings other substances and cells in the defence system to the site where the foreign materials are and destroys them, returning the body to normal.

Inflamed kidney filters

If the body's defence system malfunctions, it can cause serious damage to the kidneys when the body's immune system mistakenly attacks the kidneys' filters causing them to become inflamed.