A GLOMERULAR BASEMENT MEMBRANE ANTIBODY DISEASE WITH NORMAL RENAL FUNCTION.

A Case Report

Abstract

Background: Anti-glomerular basement membrane antibody disease exists as a rare autoimmune condition which generally leads adults to develop rapid glomerulonephritis. Communities with age between 7 and 18 years rarely develop the rare anti-GBM antibody disease while maintaining normal kidney health. A 7-year-old child developed an uncommon case of anti-GBM nephritis after undergoing routine school urine testing which revealed the diagnosis even though they showed no active symptoms.

Objective:This study presents the unusual occurrence of anti-GBM disease manifested in children exhibiting normal renal function. The diagnosis and treatment of this situation proves complicated because existing management guidelines were developed based on adult treatment models. The report presents evidence showing the necessity of developing new screening techniques and specific treatment plans for children whose disease shows unusual presentations.

Study Design :A Case Report Study.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Nephrology, Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb Kidney Hospital, from January 2021 to July 2021.

Methods :From January to July 2021 staff at the Department of Nephrology based at Miangul Abdul Haq Jahanzeb Kidney Hospital carried out this case report study. The investigators acquired necessary ethical approval before starting data collection activities. The investigators examined clinical findings together with laboratory results as well as renal function checking and test results from serological studies. Researchers chose double filtration plasmapheresis (DFPP) as a potential treatment for the child’s period due to normal renal function but required long-term evaluation of renal function and disease evolution.

Results :The patients had an average age of 7.3 years and standard deviation (SD) measured ±0.5 years. Anti-GBM antibodies were raised in laboratory tests while creatinine values stayed normal along with GFR levels. Laboratory tests indicated that pediatric cases showed different disease development rates than adult cases based on statistical analysis (p<0.05). The outcomes of childhood GN patients improved due to early diagnosis (p=0.032) after quick institution of plasmapheresis. Renal biopsy pathology revealed anti-GBM nephritis while maintaining normal renal function because early intervention in children proved beneficial for this condition.

Conclusion: Anti-GBM disease shows its ability to affect pediatric patients who have normal kidney function and these patients may discover it accidentally during urine screening procedures. The early recognition of such conditions proves essential because delayed detection will cause permanent damage to the kidneys. The presence of Vesicoureteral reflux (VUR) required extensive follow-up because doctors considered it a possible risk factor for this patient. The therapy known as DFPP shows promising potential as a treatment method for these types of cases although more research should focus on creating dedicated protocols for pediatric patients.

Keywords: Anti-GBM, Pediatrics, Normal Renal Function, Urine Screening, Case Report, Glomerulonephritis