Skip to main content
Top
Published in: BMC Pediatrics 1/2023

Open Access 01-12-2023 | Nephrotic Syndrome | Research

Kidney involvement in children during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant pandemic

Authors: Jiwon Jung, Jina Lee, Joo Hoon Lee

Published in: BMC Pediatrics | Issue 1/2023

Login to get access

Abstract

Background

As the coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19) pandemic continues, driven by the Omicron variant, infection rates in children have recently rapidly surged compared with previous years. We aimed to investigate the presentation of kidney involvement in children after Omicron variant severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus-2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection.

Methods

We retrospectively reviewed the medical records of pediatric patients who presented with kidney disease with a temporal relationship with COVID-19 between January and August 2022 in a single tertiary center in Korea.

Results

Fifteen children presented with kidney involvement after Omicron variant infection, with a median age of 10.6 (6.8–18.3) years. None of the patients exhibited severe respiratory symptoms apart from cough and sore throat. The median time from infection to renal symptom onset was 3 (0–49) days. Among 10 patients with underlying kidney disease, six had previously been diagnosed with nephrotic syndrome (NS) that relapsed after COVID-19 infection, two with immunoglobulin A nephropathy (IgAN) experienced transient gross hematuria (GHU) with or without acute kidney injury (AKI), and two with kidney transplantation presented with AKI. Of the five patients without underlying kidney disease, one patient had NS, and the other four patients had GHU and proteinuria (PU), of whom one was eventually diagnosed with Henoch Shönlein Purpura nephritis (HSPN), and one with rhabdomyolysis. The seven patients with NS (1 new-onset, 6 relapsed) had uneventful remission with corticosteroid therapy. Apart from one patient with new-onset HSPN, GHU and PU resolved spontaneously in all affected patients, and AKI also resolved with supportive care.

Conclusions

Kidney involvement subsequent to Omicron variant COVID-19 exhibited various, but mostly mild manifestations in children.
Literature
3.
go back to reference Gambella A, Barreca A, Biancone L, Roccatello D, Peruzzi L, Besso L, Licata C, Attanasio A, Papotti M, Cassoni P. Spectrum of Kidney Injury Following COVID-19 Disease: Renal biopsy findings in a single Italian pathology service. Biomolecules. 2022;12(2). https://doi.org/10.3390/biom12020298. Gambella A, Barreca A, Biancone L, Roccatello D, Peruzzi L, Besso L, Licata C, Attanasio A, Papotti M, Cassoni P. Spectrum of Kidney Injury Following COVID-19 Disease: Renal biopsy findings in a single Italian pathology service. Biomolecules. 2022;12(2). https://​doi.​org/​10.​3390/​biom12020298.
7.
Metadata
Title
Kidney involvement in children during the SARS-CoV-2 Omicron variant pandemic
Authors
Jiwon Jung
Jina Lee
Joo Hoon Lee
Publication date
01-12-2023

Other articles of this Issue 1/2023

BMC Pediatrics 1/2023 Go to the issue