What is the Difference Between Chronic Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Interstitial Nephritis

The key difference between chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis is that chronic glomerulonephritis is due to the prolonged inflammation of the tiny filters known as glomeruli in the kidneys, while chronic interstitial nephritis is due to the prolonged inflammation of the region known as renal interstitium in kidneys.

Nephritis is a medical condition that occurs due to the inflammation of tissues in the kidneys, causing problems in filtering waste from the blood. Nephritis can occur due to various reasons, such as infection, inflammatory conditions (Lupus), certain genetic conditions, and other conditions. Chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis are two types of nephritis.

CONTENTS

1. Overview and Key Difference
2. What is Chronic Glomerulonephritis 
3. What is Chronic Interstitial Nephritis
4. Similarities – Chronic Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Interstitial Nephritis
5. Chronic Glomerulonephritis vs Chronic Interstitial Nephritis in Tabular Form
6. Summary – Chronic Glomerulonephritis vs Chronic Interstitial Nephritis

What is Chronic Glomerulonephritis?

Chronic glomerulonephritis is a medical condition that is due to the prolonged inflammation of the tiny filters known as glomeruli in the kidneys. Normally, the excess fluid and waste that glomeruli remove from blood leave the body as urine. However, chronic glomerulonephritis causes problems in kidney filtration. Chronic glomerulonephritis occurs gradually. The symptoms may include blood in the urine, foamy urine, swelling of the face, eyes, ankles, feet, legs, or abdomen, abdominal pain, blood in the vomit or stool, cough, shortness of breath, excessive urination, fever, generalized fatigue, joint or muscles aches, nose bleed, and chronic kidney failure. Chronic glomerulonephritis can be caused due to infections (post-streptococcal glomerulonephritis, bacterial endocarditis, viral kidney infection, and HIV), autoimmune diseases (Lupus, Goodpasture’s syndrome, and IgA nephropathy), vasculitis, sclerotic conditions (high blood pressure, diabetic kidney disease, and focal segmental glomerulosclerosis) and other conditions.

Chronic glomerulonephritis can be diagnosed through urine tests, blood tests, imaging tests (X-ray, ultrasound, and CT scan), and kidney biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for chronic glomerulonephritis include dietary changes (eating less protein, salt, and potassium), stopping smoking, immunosuppressants (steroids, cyclophosphamide, mycophenolate mofetil, azathioprine, rituximab, ciclosporin, and tacrolimus), antiviral medicines, angiotensin-converting enzyme (CE) inhibitors, angiotensin receptor blockers (ARB) for high blood pressure, statins for high cholesterol, plasma exchange, kidney dialysis, kidney transplant, and vaccination.

What is Chronic Interstitial Nephritis?

Chronic interstitial nephritis is a medical condition that is due to the prolonged inflammation of the region known as the renal interstitium in the kidneys. The renal interstitium consists of a collection of cells, an extracellular matrix, and fluid surrounding the renal tubules. The symptoms of chronic interstitial nephritis may include blood in the urine, fever, increased or decreased urine output, drowsiness, confusion, coma, nausea, vomiting, rash, swelling of any area of the body, and weight gain. Chronic interstitial nephritis can be caused by autoimmune disease (Lupus), low levels of potassium in the blood, high levels of calcium in the blood, sarcoidosis, and some infections.

Moreover, chronic interstitial nephritis is diagnosed through physical examination (listening to the heart and lungs, taking blood pressure, and weighing the body), blood test, urine test, and kidney biopsy. Furthermore, treatment options for chronic interstitial nephritis include medicines that control blood pressure and lower inflammation, dietary changes (low sodium and low protein intake), dialysis, and kidney transplant.

What are the Similarities Between Chronic Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Interstitial Nephritis?

• Chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis are two types of nephritis that are due to prolonged inflammation of the tissues in the kidneys.
• Both conditions can be caused by autoimmune conditions and infections.
• They may produce similar symptoms, such as blood in urine, swelling of any part of the body, nausea, vomiting, etc.
• Both conditions can be diagnosed through blood tests and urine tests.
• They are treated through anti-inflammatory medications, dialysis, and transplantation.

What is the Difference Between Chronic Glomerulonephritis and Chronic Interstitial Nephritis?

Chronic glomerulonephritis is a medical condition that is due to the prolonged inflammation of the tiny filters known as glomeruli in the kidneys, while chronic interstitial nephritis is a medical condition that is due to the prolonged inflammation of the renal interstitium in the kidneys. Thus, this is the key difference between chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis.

Furthermore, chronic glomerulonephritis symptoms may include blood in the urine, foamy urine, swelling of the face, eyes, ankles, feet, legs, or abdomen, abdominal pain, blood in the vomit or stool, cough, shortness of breath, excessive urination, fever, generalized fatigue, joint or muscles aches, nose bleed, and chronic kidney failure. On the other hand, chronic interstitial nephritis symptoms may include blood in the urine, fever, increased or decreased urine output, drowsiness, confusion, coma, nausea, vomiting, rash, swelling of any area of the body, and weight gain.

The below infographic presents the differences between chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis in tabular form for side-by-side comparison.

Summary – Chronic Glomerulonephritis vs Chronic Interstitial Nephritis

Nephritis is the inflammation of the kidneys. Chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis are two different types of nephritis that are due to prolonged inflammation of the tissues in the kidneys. In chronic glomerulonephritis, there is a prolonged inflammation of the glomeruli in the kidneys. In chronic interstitial nephritis, there is a prolonged inflammation of the renal interstitium in the kidneys. So, this is the key difference between chronic glomerulonephritis and chronic interstitial nephritis.

Reference:

1. Moro O Salifu, MD. “Chronic Glomerulonephritis Treatment & Management.” Approach Considerations, Pharmacologic Therapy, Renal Replacement Therapy, Medscape, 3 Nov. 2022.
2. “Interstitial Nephritis.” American Kidney Fund, 28 Mar. 2022.

Image Courtesy:

1. “Crescentic glomerulonephritis HE stain” By Arunachalam Ramaswami, Thiraviam Kandaswamy, Tholappan Rajendran, Kizhake Pisharam Jeyakrishnan, Hla Aung, Mohammaed Iqbal, Chakko K Jacob, Haji Shaukat Zinna and Gazala Kafeel. – Scleroderma with crescentic glomerulonephritis: a case report. Journal of Medical Case Reports 2008, 2:151. doi:10.1186/1752-1947-2-151 (CC BY 2.0) via Commons Wikimedia
2. “Kidney from a case of chronic interstitial nephritis Wellcome L0061745” By Welcome Image Gallery (CC BY 4.0) via Commons Wikimedia