Which condition is a known cause of nephrotic syndrome?

Which condition is a known cause of nephrotic syndrome?

• A. Diabetes mellitus
• B. Hypertension
• C. Acute pyelonephritis
• D. UTIs

Answer: (A)

Nephrotic syndrome arises when the glomerular filtration barrier becomes highly permeable to proteins, leading to heavy proteinuria, low albumin levels, edema, and often hyperlipidemia. Diabetes mellitus is a common systemic disease that damages the glomeruli (diabetic nephropathy) through mechanisms like thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and mesangial expansion, increasing permeability to albumin. This makes diabetes mellitus a well-known cause of nephrotic-range proteinuria and full nephrotic syndrome. Hypertension can accompany kidney disease but by itself does not typically cause nephrotic-range protein loss. Acute pyelonephritis and UTIs are infections of the urinary tract and do not produce the heavy proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia characteristic of nephrotic syndrome.

Nephrotic syndrome arises when the glomerular filtration barrier becomes highly permeable to proteins, leading to heavy proteinuria, low albumin levels, edema, and often hyperlipidemia. Diabetes mellitus is a common systemic disease that damages the glomeruli (diabetic nephropathy) through mechanisms like thickening of the glomerular basement membrane and mesangial expansion, increasing permeability to albumin. This makes diabetes mellitus a well-known cause of nephrotic-range proteinuria and full nephrotic syndrome.

Hypertension can accompany kidney disease but by itself does not typically cause nephrotic-range protein loss. Acute pyelonephritis and UTIs are infections of the urinary tract and do not produce the heavy proteinuria and hypoalbuminemia characteristic of nephrotic syndrome.