Primary Causes (glomerular diseases)
Idiopathic causes are responsible for about 80% to 90% of NS.
-Focal segmental glomerulosclerosis
-Membranous glomerular disease,
-Minimal-change glomerular disease (most common type in children; still occurs in adults),
-Membranoproliferative glomerular disease (e.g, IgA)
-Other glomerular diseases
Secondary causes (systemic diseases, etc)
Diabetes mellitus,
Lupus erythematosus (SLE),
Amyloidosis.
Sarcoidosis
Cryoglobulinemia
Sjögren syndrome
Erythema multiforme
Henoch-Schönlein purpura
Microscopic polyangiitis
Polyarteritis nodosa
Systemic lupus erythematosus
Cancers: Multiple Myeloma, lymphoma, leukemia, melanoma, and multiple other cancers (e.g. lung, breast, colon, stomach, kidney)
Drugs: NSAIDs, lithium, Tamoxifen, captopril, Heroin, Interferon alfa, Penicillamine, Gold.
Allergic causes: Insect stings, venomous snake bites, Poison ivy or oak, antitoxins.
Infections: Viral (HIV, HBV, HCV, HZV, EBV) and bacterial/protozoan (Syphilis, Malaria, Mycoplasma, Schistosomiasis, Filariasis, Toxoplasmosis, Helminthiasis. Leprosy and infective endocarditis).
Other Causes
-Castleman disease
-Chronic allograft nephropathy
-Malignant hypertension
-Preeclampsia
-Alport’s syndrome
-Congenital nephrotic syndrome
-Pierson’s syndrome
-Nail-patella syndrome
-Denys-Drash syndrome
**The predominant cause of the nephrotic syndrome in children is minimal change disease.
References / Further Reading
Hull RP, Goldsmith DJA. Nephrotic syndrome in adults. BMJ : British Medical Journal. 2008;336(7654):1185-1189. https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC2394708/