What Are the Differences Between Nephritis and Uremia?

Nephritis and uremia are both kidney diseases, but they have significant differences. Uremia can be understood as the end stage of nephrotic syndrome, where the kidneys shrink and can only maintain normal physiological functions through dialysis. Nephritis, on the other hand, is a common kidney disease that includes chronic nephritis, acute nephritis, pyelonephritis, etc. If not properly treated or managed, nephritis can progress to uremia. Let's explore the differences between these two diseases.

Uremia is the end stage of chronic kidney failure, referring to a clinical syndrome characterized by a progressive and irreversible decline in kidney function caused by various kidney diseases, leading to a series of symptoms and metabolic disorders until the function is completely lost. It is often referred to as the end stage of chronic kidney failure. Uremia is not an independent disease but a clinical syndrome shared by various late-stage kidney diseases and is composed of a series of clinical manifestations that appear when chronic renal failure reaches its terminal stage.

Nephritis refers to non-infectious inflammatory lesions in both kidneys. It is the most common kidney disease, manifesting as swelling, hypertension, proteinuria, etc., due to damage to the renal corpuscle. There are many types of nephritis, including acute (glomerular) nephritis, chronic (glomerular) nephritis, pyelonephritis, latent nephritis, allergic purpura nephritis (purpuric nephritis), and lupus nephritis (lupus nephritis).

As the name suggests, "nephritis" refers to an inflammatory reaction in the kidneys, but it differs from inflammation in other organs. For example, pneumonia and enteritis are caused by direct damage to tissue and organs by bacteria and pathogenic microorganisms, resulting in local inflammatory reactions. Nephritis, on the other hand, is an immune-mediated inflammatory response. Different antigenic microorganisms infect the human body and produce different antibodies, which combine to form different immune complexes. According to the Institute of Nephrology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, these immune complexes deposit in different parts of the kidneys, causing pathological damage and leading to different types of nephritis.