The Significance of Dental Foci in Glomerular Nephropathies

In our study we want to reveal the role of dental foci, compared to other localized infections, in the evolution of glomerular nephropathies. Therefore we followed up the link between the presence of these foci and the flare-up of glomerular nephropathies, with or without renal failure. A number of 328 patients with glomerulonephritis, primary or secondary, hospitalized in the Nephrology Department of Timisoara during the period 1997-2002, were studied retrospectively. The patients were split up in 4 groups. The 240 patients of the control group (glomerulonephritis without any infection) had the following mean values of BUN, serum creatinine and proteinuria: 84.10±69.85 mg%, 3.11±2.97 mg%, 2.33±1.79 g/24h. In the 52 patients with infections other than dental foci we observed, after antibiotic treatment, a statistically significant decrease of proteinuria (from 2.51±1.75 g/24h to 1.96±1.27 g/24h) and of BUN (from 125.10±78.97 to 104.3±63.25 mg%). In the 16 patients with dental foci associated with other infections we observed, after antibiotic ± stomatologic treatment, a statistically significant decrease of proteinuria (2.34±1.74 g/24h1. 76±1.4 g/24h). Concerning the 20 patients with dental foci, mean proteinuria decreased from 2.11±1.63 g/24h to 1.79±1.26 g/24h. In some patients, after stomatological treatment, we observed an increase of proteinuria, BUN or serum creatinine, possibly due to the treatment of the localized infection, despite a correct prophylactic antibiotic treatment that could not prevent interactions of the dental foci with the kidney.