Hepatitis B surface antigenemia in North American children with membranous glomerulonephropathy. Southwest Pediatric Nephrology Study Group.

We describe 11 North American children with hepatitis B-associated membranous glomerulonephropathy (MGN). The children are predominantly black boys (seven of 11) and younger (mean age 5.3 years) than children with idiopathic MGN (10.6 years) or lupus-associated MGN (13.4 years). Most of the patients (10 of 11) had nephrotic syndrome, and although clinical evidence of liver disease was present in only one child, eight of 10 patients had elevated aspartate amino transferase levels. Liver biopsies performed in three children revealed chronic persistent hepatitis in two and chronic active hepatitis in one. Hepatitis B surface antigen was found in the serum of one of the parents of five patients and in the brother of one patient. Low serum C3 values were observed in all 11 children at some stage of their illness. Renal biopsy specimens revealed stage II or III glomerular capillary wall changes, and immunofluorescence studies revealed three or more glomerular immunoreactants in 10 of 11 biopsies. One patient developed end-stage renal disease 9 years after presentation of nephrotic syndrome; the duration of follow-up of the other 10 patients is limited at this time. We conclude from these data that hepatitis B-associated MGN is more frequent in North American children than previous reports have suggested, is most commonly seen in young black boys, and is characterized by low serum C3 levels. It appears, therefore, to be a distinct clinicopathologic entity.