Effect of pregnancy on the natural course of preexistent glomerular disease.

The clinical course of pregnancies in 3 patients with well defined glomerular diseases is described. Two women who had moderate renal insufficiency (serum creatinine greater than or equal to 1.6 mg/dl) at conception had also a dramatic progress to end-stage renal disease during pregnancy which in one case resulted in fetal loss. Glomerular diseases were focal glomerular sclerosis and poststreptococcal glomerulonephritis respectively. One patient with membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis was not affected. It is concluded that pregnancy can change the natural course of preexistent glomerular disease in patients with impaired renal function.