Post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. A quantitative glomerular investigation.

A light microscopical, quantitative glomerular examination was performed on renal biopsies from 14 patients with acute post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis. A significant increase of 58% (p less than 0.0025) in the total number of glomerular cells was found which was mainly due to an increase of endothelial cells (97%). Mesangial cells were, however, also increased (61%) and mesangial area was increased by 34% (p less than 0.05). Biopsies from patients with persisting proteinuria and/or hematuria revealed slight hypercellularity and an increase in mesangial area during the first six months of disease. The abnormalities in the acute phase of the disease could be so slight that they only would be disclosed by a quantitative investigation.