Symptoms:

• Blood in the urine
• Dark urine (smoke, cola, or tea colored)
• Cloudy urine
• Decrease in urine volume
• Swelling of any part of the body
• Changes in mental status such as decreased alertness or decreased concentration

Signs and tests:

The results of a physical examination vary depending on the symptoms. Swelling may be present along with signs of fluid overload, such as abnormal sounds when listening to the heart and lungs with a stethoscope.

Blood pressure is often high because of increased water and sodium (salt) retention and and increased production of renin, a hormone that controls blood pressure.

Membranoproliferative GN may present in several forms. It may be seen as acute nephritic syndrome, nephrotic syndrome, or an abnormal urinalysis without symptoms.

These tests help confirm the diagnosis:

• Urinalysis
• Urine protein
• BUN and creatinine
• Serum complement levels
• Serum complement C3 nephritic factor

A kidney biopsy confirms the diagnosis of membranoproliferative GN I.