Steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome is more common in Asians.

A retrospective study was undertaken to determine the incidence and compare the natural history of steroid responsive nephrotic syndrome in Asian, European, and Afro-Caribbean children born in the United Kingdom and living in Birmingham. Patients were identified from hospital admission records during the years 1979-83. Baseline population data were obtained from the same area using city birth statistics. There were 27 Asian, 13 European, and 2 Afro-Caribbean patients, giving annual incidences of 16, 2.6, and 3.1 per 100 000 children. The sixfold higher incidence in Asian children remains unexplained; further epidemiological studies may throw new light on the aetiology.