Nephrotic syndrome, a malfunction of the glomerular filter, is characterized clinically by proteinuria, edema, and end-stage renal disease (ESRD). Renal histopathology may show diffuse mesangial sclerosis (DMS) or focal segmental glomerulosclerosis (FSGS) (Hinkes et al., 2006).
Most patients with nephrotic syndrome type 3 (NPHS3) show diffuse mesangial sclerosis on renal biopsy, which is a pathologic entity characterized by mesangial matrix expansion with no mesangial hypercellularity, hypertrophy of the podocytes, vacuolized podocytes, thickened basement membranes, and diminished patency of the capillary lumen (Gbadegesin et al., 2008).
For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of nephrotic syndrome and FSGS, see NPHS1 (256300). [from
OMIM]