Post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis associated with pneumococcal infection.

Streptococcus pyogenes is the most common cause of post-infectious glomerulonephritis. Described herein is the case of a 5-year-old girl with febrile post-streptococcal acute glomerulonephritis (PSAGN) associated with pneumococcal bacteremia. The chief complaints were fever and macrohematuria without respiratory symptoms. Urinalysis indicated a protein level of 3+. Serological data showed elevated anti-streptolysin O (ASO) and hypocomplementemia. Blood culture was positive for S. pneumoniae. Her acute renal failure was mild and improved over several days. Although PSAGN was confirmed by elevated ASO and transient hypocomplementemia, the clinical course was consistent with those of several reported cases of AGN associated with pneumococcal infection. To our knowledge, there have been few reports on the relationship between pneumococcal infection and the incidence of PSAGN. We suggest the hypothesis that pneumococcal infection itself could exaggerate the complement reaction leading to PSAGN. It is important to consider PSAGN associated with a microbial infection such as S. pneumoniae when faced with a febrile patient with AGN.