Risk Factors of Infection in Nephrotic Syndrome

Objective: To determine the risk factors of infection in patients with nephrotic syndrome. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted on 155 patients with nephrotic syndrome under our department from January 2019 to December 2019. Among them, 43 cases had infection, and the rate of infection was 27.74%. The risk factors of infection were analyzed. Results: Among the 155 patients with nephrotic syndrome, 43 cases developed infection, including 3 cases of upper respiratory tract infection (6.98%), 33 cases of lower respiratory tract infection (76.74%), 3 cases of skin infection (6.97%), 3 cases of urinary tract infection (6.97%), and 1 case of facial nerve infection (2.32%). Compared with the group without infection, the group with infection had lower serum albumin and immunoglobulin G (IgG) levels as well as higher serum creatinine and 24-hour urinary protein levels (P < 0.05). Multivariate logistic regression analysis showed that decreased serum albumin (odds ratio [OR] = 1.14; P < 0.01) and IgG (OR = 1.1; P < 0.144) were independent risk factors for infection. Conclusion: Respiratory infection is the most common infection in nephrotic syndrome, and the decrease in serum albumin and IgG are independent risk factors for infection.